By Oluremi Modupe and Awwal Abdulrosheeed
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Ondo State Coordinating Office, has restated its commitment to transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector through value addition at the 5th Ondo State International Agric Show and Food Fair (OSIAFFA 2025), held from November 26–27, 2025, at the Dome, Akure. The event, themed “Food Security: Mirage or Reality?”, brought together major stakeholders, including farmers, processors, investors, and government officials.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Council, the RMRDC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Tejumola F.A emphasized that food security cannot be achieved without deliberate investment in processing and value addition. She noted that Nigeria’s agricultural sector continues to face challenges such as climate variability, farmer-herder conflicts, and post-harvest losses, making it urgent for the country to shift from exporting raw commodities to developing strong agro-processing systems.
Mrs. Tejumola highlighted RMRDC’s mandate to promote research, development, and industrial utilization of local raw materials, stressing that the Council’s priority is to ensure that all agricultural commodities attain at least 30% value addition before leaving the country. She explained that this level of transformation increases product shelf-life, reduces losses, improves nutrition, creates jobs along the value chain, and keeps wealth within farming communities. She added that the difference between exporting raw cocoa and exporting processed cocoa products is the difference between low earnings and significant economic gains for Nigeria.
She urged farmers, agripreneurs, financial institutions, and policymakers to invest in processing technologies, innovative packaging, access to affordable credit, and policies that incentivize local production. She encouraged young people to see agriculture not just as cultivation but as a profitable business, especially when value is added at every stage from harvesting to processing and marketing.
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Speakers at the event reinforced this message through presentations on cassava industrialization, raw materials utilization, backyard agribusiness, youth engagement, and farmer safety. Discussions demonstrated that when agricultural products are properly processed and utilized, they create new industries, reduce import dependence, and strengthen rural economies.
The two-day event ended with a collective agreement that food security is achievable if Nigeria commits to value addition, strategic partnerships, and continuous support for farmers and processors. RMRDC’s strong presence at OSIAFFA 2025 reaffirmed the Council’s dedication to ensuring that Nigeria’s abundant raw materials are transformed into competitive finished and semi-finished products capable of driving national development and sustainable food security.
