Posting GDP figures not enough, Nigeria must ensure progress filters down to common people – Shettima
Vice-President Kashim Shettima says economic progress in Nigeria must be measured by how growth improves lives and strengthens communities, not by gross domestic product (GDP) figures alone.
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 era has compelled nations to confront structural weaknesses and reduce excessive dependency.
The vice president said President Bola Tinubu has demonstrated 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, noting that the administration’s mission would be incomplete if opportunities remain uneven across the country.
Shettima added that beyond serving as a policy advisory body to the president, the NEC must remain 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.
During the conference, Jani Ibrahim, the president of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), said sustainable economic progress depends not only on sound policy formulation but on the capacity to implement those policies.
Ibrahim, who was represented by Janet Olisa, his special adviser, said the organised private sector remains central to the process, serving as a bridge between strategy and execution, strengthening implementation credibility, and ensuring that national and sub-national priorities translate into growth, jobs, and productivity.
“Sustainable economic progress is achieved not only through sound policy formulation, but through capacity to operationalise those policies, mobilise capital, scale enterprise, and deliver measurable outcomes across sectors and regions,” the president said.
“NACCIMA commends the national economic planning for sustaining a platform that recognises the importance of coordinated economic leadership and across-government collaboration.
“Such engagement is essential for aligning policy direction with enterprise capacity, market reality, and investment confidence.”
In furtherance of this mandate, Ibrahim said the association has established NACCIMA Global to strengthen private sector engagement with government and international partners.
“NACCIMA global serves as the association structure platform for translating economic diplomacy, international engagement, and policy frameworks into practical commercial partnership, investment pipelines, and scalable opportunity for Nigerian businesses,” he said.
Ibrahim reaffirmed NACCIMA’s commitment to working with the NEC, the federal government, and state governments to support implementation-focused reforms that deepen competitiveness, attract investment, and deliver inclusive economic outcomes nationwide.
