The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday once again failed to deliberate on the issue of state police, despite the country’s worsening security situation.
The Council, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, comprises the 36 state governors, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and other top government officials.
This delay comes amid a wave of violent attacks, allegedly by armed herdsmen, which have claimed over 200 lives and displaced communities across Plateau, Borno, Benue, Zamfara, and Kwara States.
At previous sittings, NEC had assured the public that a final decision on state police would be made. Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, had previously stated that all 36 states were in support of establishing state police and promised that NEC would soon reach a resolution.
However, when asked whether the matter was discussed, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, said it was on the agenda but was deferred due to time constraints and extended presentations on other pressing national issues.
“State Police was part of our agenda today (Thursday), but unfortunately, due to time constraints and the length of earlier presentations, we couldn’t get to that topic. I can assure you that it will be exhaustively discussed at our next meeting,” he stated.
Despite not deliberating on the issue, the Council observed a one-minute silence in honour of the victims of recent terrorist attacks in the affected states.
Governor Diri also disclosed that NEC received a briefing from the Ministry of Livestock Development on the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), with renewed focus on ranching as a key strategy to curb farmer-herder conflicts.
“What the Ministry presented was a follow-up to previous discussions on the NLTP. The emphasis is on modernizing the livestock sector, particularly through cattle ranching and peace-building initiatives,” he said.
He added that the Council sees ranching as a sustainable and modern solution to the recurring clashes between farmers and herders, a position it continues to uphold.
According to Diri, the Ministry also outlined an accelerated livestock growth strategy aimed at generating millions of jobs and expected to boost national revenue by between $74 billion and $90 billion in the coming years.
Also speaking, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji provided a financial update, stating that as of April 2025: The National Reserve Development Account stood at ₦72,858,962,939, The Stabilisation Account held ₦63,535,835,786.60, The Excess Crude Account (ECA) had a balance of $473,754.57
Other governors present at the press briefing included Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.
