By Stella Azi and Adaora Adibe
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council and Roseate Forte Nigeria Limited have commenced the implementation of the National Industrial Cluster Initiative across the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the country using the Local Content Development Beyond Oil (LCDBO) model.
The initiative was unveiled during a strategic meeting held at the Council’s headquarters in Abuja, where stakeholders described the programme as a transformational pathway towards grassroots industrialisation, economic diversification and sustainable national development.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of Roseate Forte Nigeria Limited and National Coordinator of Local Content Development Beyond Oil (LCDBO) in Nigeria, Dr. Lanre Johnson, disclosed that the programme would commence with two pilot projects in Lagos and other parts of the South-West region.
He explained that the model is designed to drive industrial revolution through the establishment of about 5,000 industrial clusters in each local government area, covering all non-oil sectors of the economy.
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According to him, the long-term objective is to replicate the industrial cluster framework across the 774 LGAs, positioning Nigeria to attain a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030 and emerge among the world’s top 10 economies by 2035.
Dr. Lanre described production, industrialisation and commercialisation as the surest pathway to national transformation, stressing that the initiative would convert every local government area into a thriving industrial and economic hub.
“The best way to go is production, industrialisation and commercialisation. From the grassroots, this programme will enable the country to turn each local government into an industrial hub where we will have about 5,000 clusters per local government. In line with the objectives, it has been designed in such a way that one MSME can generate about N80 million annually,” he stated.
He further explained that the initiative would ensure seamless integration and guaranteed off-take opportunities, with 80 per cent participation allocated to small businesses and 20 per cent to large-scale enterprises within each industrial and economic zone.
Dr. Lanre added that developers, investors, users, off-takers and strategic partners for the various hubs had already been identified to ensure smooth implementation and sustainability of the project.
Highlighting the benefits of the initiative, he said the programme would promote full-scale empowerment, employment and entrepreneurship through an “Acquire, Demonstrate and Commercialise (ADC)” framework aimed at mentoring and scaling small businesses for sustainability and growth.
He also noted that participating businesses would enjoy improved ease of doing business through access to supportive government policies, interventions, industrial infrastructure, machinery and other critical production resources.
In his remarks, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of RMRDC, Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, said the partnership between RMRDC and Roseate Forte was entering the implementation phase following the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year on the development of industrial clusters across the country.
“We have an MoU with an understanding to develop clusters in the 774 local government areas. The background work has been done, and we are stepping into the implementation stage. Roseate Forte Limited has shown tremendous energy, enthusiasm and capacity to forge ahead with this exercise. Many other stakeholders are involved, and we are just one out of many,” he said.
Professor Ike-Muonso stated that the industrial cluster initiative was all-inclusive and designed to involve stakeholders across various sectors of the economy, noting that RMRDC remained a critical partner because raw materials development is fundamental to industrial growth, particularly at the grassroots level.
He further stressed that the project aligns with the economic transformation agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially the drive towards achieving a one trillion-dollar economy, job creation and improved living standards for Nigerians.
Management staff present at the meeting included the Director, Investment Promotion and Consultancy Services Department (IPCSD), Mr. Mohammed Yaro; Director, Directorate of Corporate Affairs (DCA), Mrs. Chinyere Nnamdi Anum; Assistant Director, DCA, Mrs. Stella Azi, alongside other senior officials of the Council. Members of the Roseate Forte Nigeria Limited management team were also in attendance at the meeting.
