• Okays new textile board, $90b agribusiness, livestock development plan
• State police will address insecurity at sub-national levels, says Kaduna gov
• Govs, CDS seek technology-driven fight against insecurity
The National Economic Council (NEC), for the umpteenth time, failed to discuss state police yesterday, and deferred decision on the matter despite the deteriorating security situation in the country.
NEC approved the establishment of a Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board, alongside new strategies for agribusiness expansion and livestock transformation projected to generate up to $90 billion in economic value by 2035 and reposition Nigeria’s economy as well as tackle insecurity at its roots.
This was as Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State expressed optimism that state police would end the endemic insecurity across the federation.However, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) said the application of technology in the fight against insecurity might be the solution to the continuous loss of lives to banditry, terrorism and kidnapping across the country.
NEC had, in its previous sittings presided by Vice President Kashim Shettima, assured of a final resolution of the matter when it reconvened. On whether the issue of state police was discussed during their closed-door meeting, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, explained that though the matter was on the agenda, it was deferred as a result of lengthy presentations on some other national issues.
Parts of the country have been embroiled in a wave of attacks by herdsmen, with recent wanton killings in Plateau, Benue and Zamfara states among others.
The herdsmen-related violence affected at least 22 states across Nigeria, predominantly in the North Central geopolitical zone but also spreading to other regions.
President Bola Tinubu also emphasised reorienting herders towards ranching and urged state governors to provide land for cattle rearing, promising a comprehensive plan within weeks to end the clashes.
Diri, however, assured that the matter would be deliberated exhaustively in the next Council sitting in order to put it to rest. He said the presentation made by the Ministry of Livestock Development, especially on the issue of ranching, was a follow-up to previous deliberations.
He said: “The Ministry is looking at that sector (Livestock Development), as I said, being modernised, but more importantly, emphasis is placed on cattle ranching and peace building.”
Earlier, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, gave an update on the National Reserve Development Account as of April 2025, which he disclosed stood at N72,858,962,939.
Other initiatives approved by the council included the establishment of the Green Imperative Project (GIP) national office in Abuja and regional offices across the six geopolitical zones, as well as addressing the crises fuelled by the present system of animal husbandry in the country.
SANI, during a media chat with Correspondents on the sidelines of the NGF monthly meeting in Abuja, highlighted the constraints facing the state governors.
He said: “Some people say it’s an indictment, that the governors are not doing enough. In my opinion, it’s not an indictment.
“I agree that we have a limited role to play concerning the Constitution of Nigeria. Don’t forget that even tomorrow, by the grace of God, it’s one of the areas we are going to look at; the possibility of the creation of state police in Nigeria, which, for me, would go a long way in addressing insecurity, particularly at the sub-national level.”
THE governors’ view came to light after the over two-hour closed-door meeting with the CDS, Gen Christopher Musa, in Abuja, Wednesday night. A communique signed by the chairman of the forum, Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, which was read to journalists at the end of the meeting by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, made it clear that the forum set up a committee to work on viable measures to provide sustainable security.
The measures being preferred included the adoption of technology-driven solutions, as suggested to the forum by the CDS, in addition to the recruitment of more personnel to boost the capacity of all security agencies.
The communique reads: “The Forum received a presentation from the CDS, Gen Christopher Musa, on an innovative security initiative aimed at strengthening national and subnational capacity for early threat detection and coordinated response.
“The project envisions the phased deployment of advanced technology and infrastructure to improve surveillance, crisis management and public safety. Governors expressed support for the initiative’s objectives and underscored the importance of technology-driven solutions in addressing evolving security challenges at the state level.”
