Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday presided over the 156th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, underscoring the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to economic reforms and national development priorities.
The hybrid session, which began at 4:17 pm local time, marked the second NEC gathering since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the council to develop a comprehensive livestock and ranching reform roadmap. The President issued the directive on December 10, 2025, tasking NEC with identifying and rehabilitating grazing reserves across the country to transition them into economically viable ranches.
President Tinubu’s broadened livestock reform policy, designed to address chronic farmer–herder conflicts and stimulate expansion in the agricultural sector, was front and centre at the meeting. Addressing council members ahead of deliberations, the President emphasised the importance of converting grazing reserves into structured ranching systems.
“We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the livestock reform into economically viable development. The opportunity is there, let’s utilise it.”
Speaking with council members, Vice President Shettima said the NEC must take a central role in driving the reform from policy to implementation. Although details of the deliberations were still being concluded at the time of filing this report, it was clear from earlier sessions that the livestock initiative is intended not just as a security measure but as a strategic economic priority, with potential to create jobs, support food production and enhance sustainable land use across Nigeria.
At the council’s 155th meeting on December 18, 2025, NEC responded to the livestock reform directive by inaugurating a multi-stakeholder committee charged with fast-tracking implementation. Chaired by Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, the committee includes representatives from all six geopolitical zones, reflecting an effort to build balanced, inclusive input into national policies.
Members of the committee comprise the Ministers of Livestock Development, Agriculture and Food Security, Budget and Economic Planning, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness. The committee’s terms of reference include: reviewing recommendations from the Presidential Livestock Reform Committee, consulting states interested in ranching investment, and preparing actionable strategies for livestock value-chain development.
NEC, a constitutional advisory body chaired by the Vice President and composed of the 36 state governors, the Central Bank Governor and key federal ministers, regularly considers national economic priorities to align fiscal, monetary and development policies. While the council often addresses broad governance challenges, its evolving agenda reflects urgent sectors such as agriculture, security-linked reforms, and economic resilience.
Although details of all presentations and discussion points during Thursday’s meeting were not immediately available, observers say the livestock initiative could complement NEC’s prior resolutions on economic planning, including endorsement of medium-term national development frameworks and exploration of strategies to strengthen agricultural productivity and food security.
As NEC’s discussions continue, stakeholders will be closely watching how the livestock reform committee proceeds with stakeholder consultations, state engagements and recommendations for legislative or budgetary support. Proponents believe that, if properly coordinated, such reforms could shift Nigeria’s agrarian economy from subsistence to commercial scale while reducing conflict-induced disruptions in rural areas.
The council’s formal communiqué and resolutions from the 156th meeting are expected to be released in the coming days, offering clarity on agreed-upon strategies as Nigeria approaches key agricultural and economic milestones in 2026.
