The Federal Government will convene a National Economic Council (NEC) Conference on Monday, February 9, 2026, aimed at strengthening economic coordination and accelerating inclusive growth across Nigeria’s 36 states. The two-day event will hold at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, under the chairmanship of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
A statement from Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, said the conference will bring together state governors and key national stakeholders to deliberate on critical macroeconomic priorities.
Organised by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the conference will focus on fiscal coordination, investment mobilisation, and the development of joint strategies between the federal and state governments. The theme is “Delivering Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development: The Renewed Hope National Development Plan.”
The event is expected to shape policy directions for states, aligning them with the Federal Government’s long-term economic agenda. Deborah Oko Odo, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Secretary of the NEC, said, “The conference will focus on national economic issues aimed at encouraging growth and development across the country.”
President Bola Tinubu will attend as Special Guest of Honour, alongside senior government officials, development partners, and private-sector leaders, as the government continues to deepen reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The National Economic Council has a constitutional mandate to advise the President on the economic affairs of the federation, particularly measures for coordinating economic planning and programmes between federal and state governments. Its membership includes the 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other co-opted officials.
At its 149th meeting in April 2025, the NEC endorsed the establishment of a Cotton, Textile, and Garment Development Board, alongside new strategies for agribusiness expansion and livestock transformation, initiatives projected to generate up to $90 billion in economic value by 2035. The council also approved the creation of a national office for the Green Imperative Project in Abuja, with regional offices across the six geopolitical zones, and discussed measures to address challenges in the country’s animal husbandry system.
