The National Economic Council (NEC) would on Monday begin a two-day retreat next week,, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, said in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the statement, President Muhammadu Buhari would deliver a keynote address during the formal opening session of the retreat.
The statement reads in part: “Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, (as Chairman of NEC, an advisory body to the President) would preside over the retreat with governors from the 36 states of the federation attending, including the Central Bank Governor and the Budget and Planning Minister among other top government functionaries.
“The objective of the NEC retreat is to provide a forum for in-depth discussions by NEC members of the policy actions that the states and the federal government can consider in order to stimulate local production, cut costs and enhance public revenues among other measures to stimulate the economy.
“Contrary to suggestions, the retreat is not an emergency national economic conference. The idea was mooted at the last regular NEC meeting in January, where members requested an intensive session to review economic trends and evolve strategies to cope.”