By Festus Obot
The Director-General and Chief Executive of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has urged stakeholders across public and private sectors to rally behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national industrialization agenda, saying that stronger national backing and local value addition remain critical factors to moving Nigeria from an extractive economy to an industrially resilient economy.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement forum in his office in Abuja on Monday, June 8, 2026, Prof. Ike-Muonso emphasized that Nigeria’s industrial sector can only become competitive if raw materials are developed locally and both the government and industry players guarantee policy consistency.
He noted that President Tinubu’s Nigeria First Policy and Renewed Hope Agenda, as outlined in the Nigeria Industrial Policy recently launched by the Vice President, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, prioritizes manufacturing, value addition, and reduction of import dependence, and that the RMRDC is positioned to drive these objectives through research, policy advocacy, and collaboration.
“For us to industrialize, we must move from exporting raw materials to processing them here at home. That is the heart of Mr. President’s vision. But this vision cannot succeed without deliberate support from all stakeholders,” Prof. Ike-Muonso said.
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The Director-General informed stakeholders that policy inconsistency, inadequate funding for research, and poor linkage between research institutions and manufacturers are the major challenges that the Industrial Policy document seeks to address holistically. According to the RMRDC boss, a huge percentage of raw materials used by Nigerian manufacturers are still imported, a trend he described as unsustainable given the country’s vast natural resource base. He urged state governments, development partners, and private investors to align with the Federal Government’s industrial policy by investing in local raw material development and patronizing Nigerian-made inputs.
Prof. Ike-Muonso highlighted ongoing RMRDC projects, including the unveiling of a robust and integrated Nigeria Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP), which is an integrated and comprehensive database aimed at enhancing access to critical raw materials data and accelerating industrial development in Nigeria. He stated that this is part of RMRDC’s efforts to implement the President’s agenda.
The RMRDC boss also stressed the need for stronger legislation to protect local industries and discourage the export of unprocessed minerals, timber, and agricultural produce.
“If we continue to export our lithium, shea butter, and kaolin in raw form, we are exporting jobs and wealth. President Tinubu’s policy is clear: process it here, create jobs here, retain value here,” he stated.
Participants at the forum, drawn from both the private and public sectors, pledged their support to the Federal Government’s industrial policy as well as to deepen collaboration with RMRDC to improve local sourcing of inputs, assuring of their willingness to increase patronage of Nigerian raw materials if quality and supply consistency are guaranteed. Prof. Ike-Muonso assured stakeholders that RMRDC would continue to strengthen its technical support and research output to meet industry standards and reduce production costs for manufacturers.
The DG reiterated his call to Nigerians to see industrialization as a collective responsibility, adding that stronger backing for President Tinubu’s industrialization agenda would accelerate job creation, economic diversification, and long-term national prosperity for all Nigerians.
