The National Economic Council (NEC), on Thursday approved the inclusion of seven high-risk states in its Ad-hoc Committee on polio eradication in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Deborah Odoh, made this known while briefing newsmen at the end of 157th NEC meeting held virtually.
The meeting was chaired by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.
NAN recalls that the council established a high-level committee in Sept. 2024 to combat variant poliovirus (cVPV2) and ensure its total eradication.
The establishment of the committee chaired by Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state, followed the discovery of variant poliovirus in some Northern states.
Odoh said that the additional seven high-risk state are, Jigawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa.
The permanent secretary said that the council emphasised the need for effective political oversight across the seven high-risk states.
She added that the council implored the affected states to strengthen coordination and enhance accountability, accelerated progress towards polio eradication.
Similarly, Odoh disclosed that the council received an update on the rehabilitation of police training institutions across the country from Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu,
According to her, Mbah is the Chairman of NEC Ad-hoc Committee on the rehabilitation.
She said that the council was briefed on the committee’s efforts to initiate a comprehensive rehabilitation of police training institutions nationwide.
According to her, the committee assessed 20 locations out of the over 40 locations embarked on for rehabilitation across the country.
“The council noted the release of N40 billion by the Federal Government for the commencement of work on the project.
“It also noted the subsequent payment of 30 per cent of the consultancy fees as well as ongoing work on the engineering drawings for the project,” she said.
Odoh said the council urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure the release of N70 billion from the N120 billion approved for the take-off of the project.
She said the council also urged the committee to ensure national spread by capturing training institutions in each geopolitical zones in the first phase of the intervention.
