Governors from Nigeria’s 36 states have approved the withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account by the federal government to be used in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east.
This was revealed by the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki while briefing State House correspondents after the meeting of the National Economic Council which held inside the council chamber of the Presidential Villa Abuja.
The meeting was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Mr. Obaseki said the approval was announced during the 83rd NEC meeting by the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari.
The Governor of Gombe State, who spoke earlier, said the Excess Crude Account had a balance of $2.317 billion as at December 13, 2017.
In December 2015, President Buhari told the BBC that Nigeria has “technically won the war” against Boko Haram militants.
He told the BBC that the militant group could no longer mount “conventional attacks” against security forces or population centres.
It had been reduced to fighting with improvised explosives devices (IED) and remained a force only in its heartland of Borno state, he said.
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