Abuja: Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on state governments in Nigeria to translate the optimism of the streets into real prosperity in homes and communities. In his opening address at the meeting of the National Economic Council, the Vice President reminded state Governors that the measure of governance lies in the tangible improvement of citizens’ lives rather than rhetoric. “The measure of government is not in speeches delivered; it is in the lives improved,” the Vice President said.
According to Voice of Nigeria, Shettima highlighted one of the day’s major presentations, including the Anticipatory Action Framework for Riverine Flooding by the Office of the National Security Adviser. He reiterated the administration’s shift from reactive crisis management to proactive planning. “It is no longer in doubt that rivers that once sustained our farmlands and livelihoods have also been the source of recurring tragedy for many of our citizens. Entire communities have watched their dreams drown in waters that could have been tamed through foresight and planning. True leadership anticipates danger and builds systems to prevent loss before it happens,” he said.
He commended the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, for leading the charge toward disaster preparedness across the federation, noting that the framework will strengthen early warning systems, coordination mechanisms, and subnational response capacities. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, presented a NEC memorandum outlining Nigeria’s trajectory toward a $1 trillion economy by 2033, describing the target as a test of coordination and clarity.
Responding to the Minister’s presentation, the Vice President said, “This ambition requires coordination across the federation. It is our duty as a Council to interrogate the pathways, to assign responsibilities, and to ensure that our targets are realistic, time-bound, and transparent to the citizens who expect results.” He emphasised that the roadmap aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises macroeconomic stability, job creation, food security, and subnational competitiveness as anchors of national prosperity.
VP Shettima also commended the Katsina Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA), a state-driven digital agriculture model designed to modernise service delivery and improve farmers’ access to data, markets, and climate information. “Earlier this week, at the invitation of His Excellency, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, I was in Katsina State. One of the progressive projects we launched is the Katsina Sustainable Platform for Agriculture, known as KASPA. It is a scalable framework for digital governance, farmer inclusion, and climate-smart productivity ready for sub-national adoption,” the Vice President said.
The platform, he noted, reflects the Council’s broader commitment to technology-enabled governance and inclusive agricultural growth that cuts across the thirty-six states and the FCT. “The story of Nigeria’s recovery will not be written by chance but by choice-by the deliberate actions we take to protect our economy, safeguard our environment, and uphold the welfare of our citizens,” he said. VP Shettima commended Governors, ministers, and members of the Council for sustaining the NEC as a platform of trust, cooperation, and policy innovation.