Aliyu said this in Minna when he declared open the two-day 13th meeting of the National Council on Science and Technology.
The conference has as its theme, 'Science, Technology and Innovation Policy in Nigeria, Prospects and Challenges in its Implementation at the grassroots'.
He said, "We have been a consuming nation, whatever we have is taken away refined, processed and brought back to Nigeria.
"So, I support the plan by the Federal Government to ban the importation of some food items, especially rice."
Aliyu said gone were the days when raw materials were taken abroad only to be refined, processed and brought back to the country and sold to us at exorbitant rates.
The governor, therefore, stressed the need to lay more emphasis on science and technology.
He said it was by focusing on science and technology that the country would lead Africa in science and technology and become the true Giant of Africa.
Aliyu said the policy would ensure value addition through processing of raw materials into finished products, thereby accelerating the nation's development.
He also urged the government to pay attention to all institutions that would help the country move forward, adding that the security challenges would be overcome and the country would come out of them stronger and ready to lead Africa.
The governor appealed to the people of the country to support the Federal Government to achieve a stable polity.
Aliyu described those causing disaffection among the Nigerian people as enemies of the country who should protected.
Earlier, the Supervising Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Omobola Johnson, said that the Science and Technology Innovation policy introduced in 2012 was being gradually taken to the grassroots.
She said this was being done under the scheme tagged "Ward-Based Cluster Project."
Johnson said the programme would provide the platform for demonstration and further deployment of the requisite technologies for value addition.
She said this would result in the transformation of resource endowment of each ward into useful products and services.
The minister said her ministry had decided to disseminate the policy to various stakeholders through extensive media campaign, to sensitise the populace and create awareness.
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