By – Stella Azi
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo M. Ike-Muonso has reaffirmed the Council ‘s commitment to building a self-reliant national economy. The DG who made this known during a One – day interactive session Organized by the RMRDC with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), held on November 14, 2024, at MAN House, Ikeja, Lagos, emphasized that the Council is determined to promote the adaptation and utilization of local raw materials resources for development and growth of the industrial sector.
Prof. Ike-Muonso in his keynote address, noted that recently global economic disruptions have exposed the vulnerability of the economy; particularly, over dependence of the manufacturing sector on imported raw materials and increasing volatility of international trade relationships have underscored the imperative of self reliance and domestic capacity building.
To tackle these challenges, he said the RMRDC has taken the bull by the horn to renew and strengthen partnership with Manufacturers in Nigeria, to harness the nation’s vast raw materials resource potentials and unlock new opportunities for industrial growth and development.
According to the DG, another vital step taken by his administration is reviving the RMRDC Multi-disciplinary Task Force (MTF) charged with the responsibility to “identify areas requiring value addition enhancement and provides actionable insights for manufacturers to upgrade their processing capabilities through its detailed mapping of the sector. The task force findings will help pinpoint which sectors require targeted support, technological intervention, or capacity building to achieve the 30% threshold. Furthermore, by documenting current value-addition practices and potential across different industries, the MTF enables RMRDC to develop sector-specific strategies and support mechanisms to help manufacturers meet the new export requirement while enhancing their competitiveness in global markets”.
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He declared that reviving the MTF for the industrial sector represented a watershed moment in the Council’s collective efforts to transform Nigeria‘s manufacturing landscape. The RMRDC MTF comprises research experts from within and outside the Council, stake holders in local content development, representatives from the 10 sectorial groups of MAN, among others.
He further disclosed that the draft RMRDC Legislative Bill on Local Manufacturing Sector Protection, which passed first reading on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, is expected to be up at the National Assembly for second reading next week.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director General MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi Kadir acknowledged that the interactive session was a unique opportunity to consolidate on the existing relationship between the RMRDC and MAN, describing it as one with enormous potential to upscale productivity in raw materials development in Nigeria.
He said MAN is committed to deepening collaboration with the RMRDC to overcome the challenges of raw material shortages, high production costs, and supply chain vulnerabilities, in the best interest of the manufacturing sector.
The interactive session featured presentation of Pilot plants projects ready for commercialization by the RMRDC which includes pilot plants for the production of Sorbitol, industrial and pharmaceutical grade Talc and Plaster of Paris (pop
