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By Oluwasola Marinho, Moyofoluwa Ogunyemi, Olamide Akintunde
Flour Mills of Nigeria has urged the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to take decisive action in boosting the local production of wheat and sorbitol; two essential raw materials critical to the country’s industrial sector. This appeal was made during a strategic courtesy visit by the Director General RMRDC Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, to Flour Mills Plc, to sensitive and seek collaboration towards the forthcoming Africa Raw Materials Summit scheduled to hold in May, 2025.
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Speaking during the visit, the DG RMRDC, who let a team of the to the Flour Mill at Apapa, Lagos State, highlighted the essence of the forthcoming African Raw Materials Summit, noting that the event would provide a vital platform for Flour Mills and other key industry players to engage and collaborate with other industry players on raw materials utilization across the continent. He also informed the representatives of Flour Mills about the efforts of RMRDC in sponsoring a Legislative Bill on 30% value-addition to primary raw materials before export. He noted that the legislative effort aims to curtail the export of unprocessed raw materials, while fostering self-sufficiency in local production; thereby reducing the need for Nigeria to import domestically available raw materials.
Prof. Ike-Muonso further revealed that RMRDC has developed a comprehensive National Raw Materials Information Management System (NRMIMS), designed to provide stakeholders with critical insights and advisory for informed decision-making in the manufacturing industry.
Acknowledging Flour Mills of Nigeria’s longstanding contributions to the industrial sector, he emphasized the pivotal role of the Company, in fostering economic development and industrial growth.
In response, the Group Head of Procurement at Flour Mills of Nigeria, Mr. Osuagwu, reiterated the company’s commitment to utilizing locally sourced materials, including cassava, sorghum and wheat. He, however, noted that wheat, for instance, remains predominantly imported. Out of a national demand of 60 million metric tonnes per annum, only a paltry 60,000 metric tonnes are cultivated locally. This significant gap accentuates the urgent need to enhance local wheat cultivation efforts.
Mr. Osuagwu also highlighted the untapped potential of cassava, pointing out that despite Nigeria’s status as the world’s largest cassava producer, the country continues to import sorbitol, a critical industrial ingredient. In contrast, nations such as Singapore have successfully developed sorbitol production from cassava. He, therefore, urged RMRDC to explore viable solutions for boosting local sorbitol production.
