Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said that Nigeria’s economic progress must be assessed by how growth improves the lives of citizens and strengthens communities, rather than by gross domestic product (GDP) figures alone.
Gatekeepers News reports that Shettima spoke on Monday at the 2nd National Economic Council (NEC) Conference, themed “Delivering Inclusive Roads and Sustainable National Development: The Renewed Hope National Development Plan 2026–2030.”
He said the post-COVID-19 global environment has forced nations to confront long-standing structural weaknesses and reduce overdependence, adding that President Bola Tinubu has shown strong commitment to insulating Nigeria’s economy amid rising geopolitical tensions and global economic protectionism.
“The inclusive growth on our radar is not an exercise in sloganeering. We have confronted the macroeconomic obstacles before us. What remains is to ensure that progress filters down to the everyday lives of our people,” Shettima said.
“The journey towards inclusive growth demands sustainable national development, development that balances expansion with equity, opportunity with responsibility, and prosperity with environmental stewardship. It is no longer enough to measure progress by GDP figures alone.
“We must ask harder questions. How does growth transform lives? How does it uplift communities? How does it strengthen national cohesion?”
He described the NEC as a critical platform for delivering inclusive growth, stressing that the administration’s mission would remain incomplete if opportunities are unevenly distributed across the country.
Shettima added that beyond serving as a policy advisory body to the President, the NEC must continue to function as a vehicle for consensus-building and coordinated action across federal and sub-national governments.
“Nigeria’s future will not be decided in Abuja alone. It will be shaped in our states, in our local communities, and through the choices we make in forums such as this,” he said.
