By Temidayo Igwebuike
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), through its Training School, has organised a two-day capacity building workshop at the Council’s headquarters in Abuja, aimed at strengthening support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and promoting local raw materials development.
The workshop, titled “Improving Your Business: A Workshop for Business Support Staff and Entrepreneurs,” brought together RMRDC business support staff and MSME operators to enhance knowledge, skills and practical understanding of business development, processing, packaging, marketing and financial management.
Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the Director General of RMRDC, Professor Nnanyelugo M. Ike -Muonso, the Dean of the RMRDC Training School, Dr. I. C. Olife, said MSMEs play a critical role in Nigeria’s raw materials development and supply chain. He explained that MSMEs serve as primary producers of raw materials and are also involved in primary and secondary processing, noting that their widespread presence across the country helps ensure raw materials availability in different localities while reducing dependence on imports and transportation bottlenecks.
Dr. Olife stated that the Council, places high priority on collaboration with MSMEs and noted that the organisation of the workshop aligns with RMRDC’s mandate to enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in raw materials and products development.
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Reaffirming RMRDC’s commitment to Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda, Dr. Olife described the Council as a key driver of local raw materials development and MSME empowerment, aimed at building a sustainable foundation for inclusive economic growth. She urged business support staff of the Council to fully utilise the opportunity to enhance their engagement with MSMEs nationwide, while encouraging entrepreneurs to apply the knowledge gained from the workshop to build strong business structures and pursue sustainable growth and expansion.
The training was designed to create a platform for interaction between staff of the Council in the Investment Promotion and Consultancy Services Department (IPCSD), and the States Industrial Extension Services Department (SIESD) as well as selected MSMEs. It aimed at deepening the understanding of staff and strengthening their capacity to provide advisory and consultancy services tailored to the needs of micro, small and medium enterprises. The programme also sought to expose entrepreneurs to innovative processing and packaging technologies, product development strategies, marketing skills and financial literacy required for business growth and expansion.
To achieve these objectives, participants were taken through a number of modules, including the business environment and opportunities in Nigeria, business models for resource based small enterprises, marketing techniques and e commerce, financial literacy, costing and record keeping, product development, quality and packaging, business expansion and SWOT analysis, as well as action planning for improving business performance.
The workshop was delivered through a mix of plenary sessions, expert presentations, interactive discussions, as well as individual reflections and practical tasks designed to enhance learning and participant engagement.
