Government Stalls Once More on Discussion Regarding State Police by NEC
News Article: NEC Endorses Solar-Powered Irrigation Pumps for Food Security
The National Economic Council (NEC) met in Abuja on Thursday and endorsed the rollout of solar-powered irrigation pumps developed by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI). The endorsement is part of efforts to strengthen food security ahead of the 2025 dry season.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who attended the meeting, stated that the development showcases Nigerian ingenuity and supports the administration's food security drive. He also hinted at other ongoing efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector.
The advanced features of the NASENI pumps include GPS tracking, mobile app dashboards, usage monitoring, and pay-as-you-go integration. These features aim to make farming more efficient and cost-effective for farmers. The pumps are designed to replace petrol-powered models, reduce farmers' costs, expand dry-season cultivation, and provide additional household power.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori provided updates on balances in national accounts during his briefing to State House correspondents. According to Oborevwori, as of September 17, 2025, the Excess Crude Account stands at $535,823.39, the Natural Resources Account at ₦125,818,396,257.41, and the Stabilization Account at ₦83,495,784,133.24.
NEC also urged governors to strengthen their State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) with funding, equipment, and training for effective disaster response. This comes as the council mandated the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, to work out modalities for funding NASENI to enable mass production and timely distribution of the pumps.
However, the matter of State Police was neither debated nor listed for deliberation at Thursday's NEC session. Despite mounting calls for its adoption to curb insecurity nationwide, no decision was made regarding the State Police issue at the meeting. President Bola Tinubu had earlier thrown his weight behind the creation of State Police, a move that received the backing of at least 34 governors.
The council also received an update on the Anticipatory Action Framework for Riverine Flooding in Nigeria from Governor Babagana Zulum. The framework aims to mitigate the humanitarian and economic impact of flooding through early warning systems, targeted preparedness, and coordinated response.
The CEO of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) was not explicitly mentioned in the search results. Meanwhile, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Bagudu, briefed the NEC on preparations for the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit.
NEC also recommended that state governments improve risk communication to vulnerable communities. The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, briefed the council on the framework and its potential to protect communities from the adverse effects of flooding.
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