In a decisive step toward reshaping Nigeria’s economic future, Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Interministerial Committee on Research and Innovation, with a mission to transform Nigeria into an innovation-driven, $1 trillion economy within the next decade.
The inauguration, which took place on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was disclosed in an official statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President).
“Innovation is the Currency of Every Civilisation”
Addressing the committee, Shettima emphasized that the future Nigeria desires must be built, not inherited. He described innovation as the key driver of global advancement and called on the committee to breathe life into a bold mission that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic vision.
“We are here to breathe life into a bold mission: to build Nigeria into an innovation-driven, trillion-dollar economy within a decade,” the VP declared.
Strategic Pillars for Nigeria’s Innovation Economy
The committee has been tasked with coordinating research and innovation across five strategic sectors, identified as pivotal to Nigeria’s transformation:
Agriculture and Climate Resilience – Feeding the population while safeguarding the environment.
Manufacturing Excellence – Breaking import dependence and building Nigerian-led supply chains.
Healthcare Innovation – Shifting from importing medicines to exporting breakthroughs.
Natural Resource Optimisation – Moving from exporting raw materials to exporting ingenuity.
Energy Security – Ensuring stable power supply and sustainable energy sources.
Shettima issued a direct challenge to the committee: reduce Nigeria’s food import bill by 50% and triple domestic pharmaceutical production through focused innovation, policy alignment, and investment.
Collaboration, Not Duplication
Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Uche Nnaji praised the leadership behind the initiative and emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration. He noted that the committee would eliminate redundancies and ensure that Nigeria’s limited resources are effectively channelled toward unified innovation goals.
“The keyword here is collaboration. We’ve been spending a lot of money across various ministries, duplicating functions. This committee will harmonize efforts and reduce wastage,” the Minister said.
With this renewed focus on innovation and research, Nigeria signals its commitment to leveraging knowledge, technology, and coordinated action to fuel its economic leap forward.