‘Nigeria has no business being poor,’ Shettima says

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria “has no business being poor” given its vast agricultural and natural resources.

Shettima stated this on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at the Agriculture, Development and Investment Summit in Abuja.

He cited Indonesia as an example, noting that its revenue from oil palm in 2025 surpassed Nigeria’s earnings from crude oil.

“Indonesia is an oil-producing nation, but in 2025 it earned $25 billion from 53 million tonnes of crude palm oil. It exported 32 million tonnes, and that revenue alone exceeded Nigeria’s oil revenue. It earned more than 50 per cent of what Nigeria made from crude oil export,” Shettima said.

The Vice President also highlighted the potential of the Niger Delta region.

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

“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 parts of this country where money can grow. You can plant and harvest tremendous resources.”