Shettima chairs NEC as council hails Polio reduction

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday chaired the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with several state governors and key stakeholders in attendance.

Those present included the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, as well as governors of Zamfara, Jigawa, Lagos, Anambra, Gombe, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, Ondo, and the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.

At the end of the meeting, the Council announced that Nigeria has recorded significant progress in reducing cases of the new variant Type-2 Polio virus, dropping from 78 cases in 2024 to 42 cases as of August 2025.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Inuwa Yahaya, said the virus remains prevalent in parts of the North West, particularly Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara. He explained that while Kano and Katsina have recorded remarkable reductions of 85% and 84% respectively, Sokoto still accounts for more than half of the reported cases this year.

“So far, out of the 23 cases recorded in 2025, Sokoto has 13 cases, and so the committee has reported that and will discuss with the governor of Sokoto State with a view to strategising and ensuring effective coverage through routine immunization,” Yahaya said.

He also confirmed that Gombe State has recorded no new cases this year, further highlighting progress in the fight against the disease.