2027, Tinubu’s 2030 $1trn economy ambition

To many, who are yearning for a better country, President Bola Tinubu’s bold target of transforming Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030 is a welcome development, described by economists as both ambitious and necessary.

But critics see it as another political gimmick, aimed at gaining political mileage ahead of 2027 presidential election.

The president however appears commited to realising the ambition. He first unveiled the move in June 2023 through his Policy Advisory Council, a target he reiterated in November that year at the National Engineering Conference in Abuja.

He has since doubled down on the goal, most recently in August 2025, when he reaffirmed the projection and set a clear benchmark of achieving seven percent annual growth by 2027 as a pathway to hitting the trillion-dollar milestone.

Although there have been criticisms as to whether the ambition is possible with the country currently covering around just about three percent annual Gross Domestic Products (GDP) growth, pundits believe that if the president and his economic team are serious to achieve the target, then, the  administration must accelerate growth drivers beyond oil, expand industrial output, and deepen investment in innovation and infrastructure.

Interestingly, one key lever that could help the administration in achieving its target, is the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) particularly through its strategic oversight of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

NASENI is Nigeria’s leading institution for technology transfer, industrial innovation, and engineering development. With a mandate to domesticate and commercialise technology, the agency can serve as the industrial engine of Tinubu’s economic vision by driving import substitution.

NASENI’s homegrown solutions such as lithium battery, smartphone, solar street lights, solar irrigation pump machine, transformers, laptops, electric motorcycles, medical equipment and agricultural processing equipment like yam paoundo machine can reduce Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imports, save foreign exchange, and boost local production.

Recently, the Minister in charge of FMITI, Dr Olajumoke Oduwole was on a routine inspection to NASENI headquarters in Idu Industrial layout, Abuja and all it represents including multibillion naira Abuja Technology Village investment hub, NASENI Troment among others, to ensure steady contribution of her portfolio to the president’s ambitious declaration for the country.

She moved through the aisles with visible curiosity, pausing to interact with workers, run her fingers over NASENI-made medical equipment, NASENI laptop, lithium battery etc.

“Imagine if we all decide to buy this. If you, as a minister, use a NASENI laptop, a NASENI handset, even a NASENI car, others will follow and that will help us save a lot of forex and promote local content big time,” Oduwole said during that visit.

It wasn’t just a throwaway remark. In a country still battling decades of over-reliance on imports, the symbolism of public officials embracing Nigerian-made goods is powerful.

For her, it is also deeply personal, “I always make the effort to wear as much made-in-Nigeria as possible. What I eat, where I go, I’m conscious about it. When I’m abroad, I hardly shop, ” she added.

This Oduwole personal ethos mirrors the government’s wider industrial push. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, policy emphasis has shifted towards stability, domestic productivity, and protecting local industry.

For the minister, this is more than policy rhetoric; it is a campaign. “It’s about Nigerians buying what we produce and producing what we consume. It’s a responsibility each of us has,” the minister said.

NASENI’s current momentum is striking. The agency was quietly tinkering in the background. Today, it boasts International Standard Organisation (ISO) certification, the gold standard for global product quality, and operates 18 production sites across the country, with various everyday need output mentioned earlier.

Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, boasted that with proper support and funding, NASENI Troment can meet 80 percent of the country’s consumption need with ability and capacity to export to other Africa countries and beyond.

“This factory alone, can meet 80 percent of Nigeria’s consumption needs. In fact, we have so much capacity, we need to export to other African countries,” he said.

However, Daily Sun gathered that the government’s sincere support for this vision is not incidental and like the Minister said, executive orders on local content, Bureau of Public Procurement regulations, and targeted investment policies are all designed to give Nigerian-made goods a fighting chance.

In recent weeks, the ministry hosted a domestic investor summit focused on two stubborn bottlenecks: access to capital and access to markets.

“The Central Bank, Ministry of Finance, and other key policy actors were in the room, signalling a coordinated approach which was lacking abinitio.

“Even the toughest critics must concede that the president has been able to stabilise this economy.

“The volatility we had before is significantly reduced. This is an inflection point, the best is yet to come,” Oduwole stressed.

Trade policy is another lever. Nigeria’s active role in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), ECOWAS agreements, and World Trade Organization frameworks is aimed at securing market access for locally produced goods.

“We’re negotiating agreements that ensure investors are protected, so they’re free and happy to come to Nigeria.

“That’s how we create jobs, improve our GDP, and move towards our $1 trillion economy target,” she reiterated.

The NASENI visit was also about the human dimension. Factories like this create jobs, up to 400 direct and many more indirect positions in this facility alone. For communities, that means incomes, stability, and opportunity. For the government, it means proof that industrial policy translates into real livelihoods.

It is also a test of narrative and that was why the NASENI Boss urged journalists covering the visit to “do justice” to what they saw, stressing that the country’s progress stories deserve as much prominence as its challenges.

“It’s not all bad in the country. A lot of things are going on, and we’ll continue to do more. The way it’s reported is also key,” he said.

In the coming weeks, Daily Sun further learnt that the minister plans to visit five to seven more NASENI facilities. Each site tells a part of a larger story,  one in which Nigeria’s industrial ambition is no longer just about policy documents, but about factories that hum, products that work, and citizens who buy them with pride.

If the vision holds, Nigerian laptops, batteries, and even cars may soon be as familiar on the streets of Lagos as imported brands once were.

The minister’s hope is that such familiarity won’t just be a matter of economics, but a statement of identity.

As Oduwole succinctly puts it, “When you buy a made-in-Nigeria, you’re investing in Nigeria’s future,” a reminder that President Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target is not just about figures on paper but about building industries, creating jobs, and driving self-reliance through agencies like NASENI.

On the factory floor, where innovation is being turned into tangible products, that future is already taking shape, proof that with homegrown solutions and bold investments, Nigeria’s trillion-dollar dream can move from aspiration to reality especially if this administration can mandate its officials to follow Oduwole’s “use what we produce” template.

Ardo  Zubairu 

National Secretary 

TInubu Re- Election Project 2027 . Office Phones: 

08033305195

08098885195

07033454053

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