Shettima calls for increased investment in agriculture

By Taiwo Scholarstica

Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima has called for increased investment in agriculture.

Speaking on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the Agric, Development and Investment Summit held in Abuja, the Vice President referenced Indonesia’s success in the oil palm industry as a model for Nigeria, noting that strategic investment in agriculture has enabled the Southeast Asian nation to generate substantial revenue beyond its earnings from the petroleum sector.

According to him, Indonesia, despite being an oil-producing country, generated about $25 billion from crude palm oil exports in 2025, with the earnings surpassing Nigeria’s revenue from crude oil exports.

“Indonesia is an oil-producing nation, but in 2025 it earned 25 billion dollars from 53 million tons of crude palm oil while exporting only 32 million tons. Its revenue exceeded Nigeria’s oil revenue with just about 50 per cent of what Indonesia earned from oil palm exports,” he said.

Shettima also drew attention to the untapped economic potential of the Niger Delta, describing the region as the world’s third-largest delta with vast opportunities for mariculture, including fish farming and the cultivation of species such as salmon, tuna and lobsters.

“The Niger Delta is the third largest delta in the world, and what do people in mariculture do? Fish farming like salmon, tuna, lobsters, and the Delta is endowed with those resources,” he said.

He maintained that unlocking the country’s agricultural and marine resources would not only diversify the economy but also create wealth, generate employment and improve the standard of living for millions of Nigerians.

“In this great nation of ours, we have no business being poor. We have the potential to be one of the richest countries in the world. There are certain parts of this country where money can grow; you can plant money and harvest tremendous money resources,” he added.