Eighteen days after his Inauguration as President, Commander – in – Chief of the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday inaugurated the National Economic Council (NEC), charging the Council to work with his administration to revive the economic fortunes of Nigerians.

The Council is led by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and has as members the 36 State Governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other co-opted Government officials.

The President at the inauguration held at the Council Chambers , Presidential Villa Abuja, observed that the task of reviving the economy before the new administration is daunting but noted that there would be no excuses not to deliver, since they all begged and even danced before Nigerians to give them the job.

President Tinubu charged the Council to get to work, stressing that Nigerians are waiting for them.
His words:” “it is very reassuring that our citizens are behind us, but they want reforms and they want them very quickly”.

Constitutionally, the NEC is under the chairmanship of the Vice President, its inauguration is coming a week after President Tinubu called for its convening to fast track the process of finding answers that will mitigate the effects of the petroleum subsidy.

The Council meets monthly and has the mandate to: “advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”

Present at the meeting are Governors Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara); Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti); Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa); Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom); Peter Mbah (Enugu); Bassey Otu (Cross River); Caleb Muftwang (Plateau); Nasir Idris (Kebbi); Aliyu Radda (Katsina) and Hycinth Alia (Benue).

Others are Dauda Lawal (Zamfara); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Charles Soludo (Anambra); Mai Mala Buni (Yobe); Agbu Kefas (Taraba); Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta); Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers); Mohammed Bago (Niger) and Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto).

Others are Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi); Uba Sani (Kaduna); Godwin Obaseki (Edo); Alex Otti (Abia); Douye Diri (Bayelsa); Abba Yusuf (Kano); Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) Borno Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur and Ondo state Acting governor Lucky Ayedatiwa.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume; Chief of Staff Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, Acting Governor of Central Bank, Mr. Folashodun Shonubi and Permanent Secretaries Budget and National Planning, Federal Capital Territory Administration.