Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja
The National Economic Council (NEC) has sanctioned a major financial commitment to revitalise the nation’s security infrastructure, approving a sum of one hundred billion naira (N100bn) for the comprehensive rehabilitation of training institutions used by the police and other security agencies across Nigeria.
This substantial allocation, decided during the council’s 154th meeting held virtually on Wednesday, represents a direct response to the critical findings of a specialised assessment committee and is now subject to final ratification by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The approval follows a detailed presentation by the NEC ad-hoc committee tasked with evaluating the state of these crucial facilities nationwide. The committee, chaired by the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, reported that a majority of the training institutions for security personnel are in a dire and unacceptable condition, underscoring an urgent need for wholesale renovation and modernisation.
The council also approved an additional N2.6 billion to cover essential consultancy services for the extensive project, ensuring its planning and execution meet strategic objectives.
This initiative directly fulfils a proposal put forward by President Tinubu at the council’s 152nd meeting in October 2024, highlighting a consistent executive focus on strengthening the foundational training of the nation’s security forces.
Presiding over the meeting, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who serves as NEC Chairman, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to addressing the systemic deficiencies in security training infrastructure.
He stated that the investment was a necessary step towards building a more professional and effectively trained security apparatus. Expanding his remarks beyond the immediate agenda item, the Vice President issued a robust charge to the governors of the 36 states, emphasising that all tiers of government must ensure that ongoing economic reforms translate into clear and measurable improvements in the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“Governance is meaningful only when citizens can feel its impact,” Shettima asserted. He urged a decisive shift from policy rhetoric to actionable execution, adding, “Our task is not to admire problems, but to solve them. Not to explain challenges, but to overcome them. And not to hope for progress, but to engineer it. The era of policy without results must give way to governance defined by tangible outcomes in our communities.”
In other significant council business, the Accountant General of the Federation presented updates on key national reserve accounts. As of November 2025, the Excess Crude Account balance stands at $525,823.39, the Stabilisation Account holds N71,647,494,101.12, and the Natural Resources Development Account contains N79,252,769,532.35. These figures provide a snapshot of the nation’s fiscal buffers.
The council also received an encouraging update on the national polio eradication campaign from the committee chaired by the Governor of Gombe State. It was noted that Nigeria has recorded a 39% reduction in circulating variant poliovirus cases this year compared to the same period in 2024, with particularly dramatic declines of 94% and 88% in the historically high-burden states of Kano and Katsina, respectively.
Governors were urged to continue providing high-level political oversight and to facilitate secure access for vaccination teams in hard-to-reach and insecure areas.
Furthermore, the NEC approved a critical recommendation from the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, to settle outstanding obligations to domestic gas producers.
The council concurred with a prior presidential approval for the payment of N185 billion in validated debts. This decision aims to resolve long-standing liabilities, thereby incentivising increased gas production and ensuring improved supply for domestic power generation and industrial use, which is vital for economic stability and growth.
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