How FG Plans To Cut Food Imports By 50%
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the Federal Government has inaugurated an Interministerial Committee on Research and Innovation to drive national efforts toward food and energy security and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on food imports.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who inaugurated the committee at the State House in Abuja, tasked its members with cutting Nigeria’s import bill by 50 percent.
He described the initiative as a strategic move by the Tinubu administration to consolidate intellectual and financial resources and establish a strong foundation for an innovation-driven economy.
“Our goal is to build Nigeria into a trillion-dollar economy within the next decade,” the Vice President stated.
Shettima outlined the committee’s terms of reference, focusing on five transformative sectors:
1. Agriculture and Climate Resilience – to enhance food security and protect the environment
2. Manufacturing Excellence – to break dependence on imports and promote local supply chains
3. Healthcare Innovation – to boost local pharmaceutical production and medical exports
4. Natural Resource Optimisation – to shift from raw material exports to value-added products
5. Energy Security – to ensure a sustainable and reliable energy future
“In each of these areas, we will pursue bold missions, not just metrics,” he said. “We want real deliverables that change lives—not just data on dashboards.”
He emphasized aligning policy, research, and investment to achieve measurable and meaningful outcomes, such as significantly increasing domestic pharmaceutical production and cutting food import costs in half.
The Vice President also revealed that the committee’s work would lay the groundwork for a Presidential Plenary on Innovation—an annual high-level forum, approved by President Bola Tinubu and chaired by the President, to guide Nigeria’s innovation agenda.
“Innovation is a presidential priority,” Shettima added. “This committee is only the beginning.”
Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, praised the collaborative spirit driving the initiative, noting that the committee would help eliminate duplications and improve efficiency across ministries.
“The key word is collaboration,” he said. “This committee will help save resources and harmonize efforts across sectors to foster innovation and economic growth.”
Other officials at the inauguration included the Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security, Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and representatives from the Ministries of Education, Budget and Economic Planning, and Foreign Affairs.
