Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigeria’s sub-national governments to actively spearhead the country’s economic development by capitalizing on their individual domestic advantages.

Speaking at the opening of the J-INVEST 2026 economic and investment summit in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, Shettima emphasized that national prosperity depends entirely on the economic revival of individual states rather than federal wealth alone.

He maintained that given the vast spread of natural resources across the federation, no state has a justification for failing to grow.

Delivering a goodwill message from President Bola Tinubu, the Vice President defended the federal government’s recent economic overhauls, admitting that while the choices have brought temporary hardships, they are yielding positive results for long-term sustainability. He pointed to legislative and structural milestones aimed at building investor trust, such as the Business Facilitation Act, foreign exchange liberalization, and the work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in removing bureaucratic red tape.

Furthermore, he highlighted the Electricity Act 2023, which grants states the power to independently manage power infrastructure, as an unprecedented opportunity to draw private utility capital.

Turning his focus to regional performance, Shettima lauded Jigawa State for cultivating nearly 40 percent of Nigeria’s total wheat output during the recent agricultural cycle. However, he warned that the country must drastically improve farm productivity, noting that Nigeria’s average wheat yield of 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare still lags far behind competitors like South Africa and Ethiopia.

He promised continued federal support for states that actively enhance their local business climates.

Earlier in the event, Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi declared the state fully open for commercial partnerships, stating that the summit is designed to deliver immediate economic agreements rather than just speeches. Governor Namadi revealed that the state has successfully secured 64 major investments over the last three years across energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, and healthcare. To lay a solid foundation for private enterprises, the governor added that over 76 percent of Jigawa’s current public budget has been directed toward capital projects, focusing heavily on infrastructure expansion and human capital building.