Shettima inaugurates innovation committee, eyes $1trillion economy

By Kunle Sanni

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday inaugurated the Interministerial Committee on Research and Innovation, tasking it with driving Nigeria towards becoming an innovation-driven, trillion-dollar economy within the next decade.

The inauguration, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, marks a key step in President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to coordinate research and innovation across strategic sectors of the economy.

Speaking at the event, Shettima said the committee’s primary objective is to foster homegrown solutions in food security, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and natural resources—sectors he described as vital to national development.

“We are here not just to launch a committee, but to begin a bold journey—to build Nigeria into a trillion-dollar innovation-driven economy within 10 years,” the Vice President said.

He emphasized that Nigeria must move beyond reliance on imports and outdated systems, urging the committee to deliver measurable outcomes. “Innovation is the currency of civilisation. We must till the soil, explore the seas, and scout the space of knowledge,” he added.

The committee will focus on five priority areas:

Agriculture and Climate Resilience to ensure food security and environmental protection,

Manufacturing Excellence to reduce import dependency,

Healthcare Innovation to boost local pharmaceutical production,

Natural Resource Optimisation to add value to raw materials, and

Energy Security to sustainably power the economy.

A key goal, Shettima said, is to reduce Nigeria’s food import bill by 50 percent while increasing local pharmaceutical production and aligning research with national needs.

He also announced that the committee’s work will feed into a broader Presidential Plenary on Innovation—an annual forum approved by President Tinubu, which will bring together stakeholders from academia, industry, and civil society. The President is expected to personally preside over the forum, underscoring the administration’s commitment to innovation as a national priority.

Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, praised the collaborative nature of the initiative and stressed the importance of eliminating duplication across ministries to improve research and innovation outcomes.