By Adaora Adibe and Nafisat Abdulrahman
The Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyeluogo Martins Ike-Mounso, has applauded the RMRDC Training School as it marks a significant milestone with the successful completion of its inaugural two-day course for pioneer students. The course, which took place from 11th to 12th December 2024 at the RMRDC Boardroom, aimed at setting the foundation for capacity building across diverse disciplines.
The training, which brought together the first batch of students from various departments of the Council, focused on equipping participants with foundational knowledge and skills relevant to the Council’s mission of promoting raw materials development in Nigeria.
Speaking on the second day of the training, the Director-General acknowledged that the training could have started earlier, stating, “If we had followed this approach earlier, we would have trained no fewer than a thousand persons or more by now. But it’s better late than never.” He expressed optimism that by the first quarter of the coming year, the Council would have trained at least a thousand individuals.
The DG emphasized the school’s focus on practical skills development as well as multi-disciplinary training. “The training school is not just about short courses,” he noted. “We want to run career conversion programmes that will enable officers from backgrounds such as History, Arabic Studies, or Yoruba to gain proficiency in science fields like Agriculture, Chemistry, and Biology.”To achieve this, the Council has already partnered with several universities, positioning the training school as a hub for holistic professional development and innovation in raw materials research.
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Prof. Ike-Muonso urged participants and staff of the Council to recognize their pivotal role in Nigeria’s growth while emphasizing the Council’s strategic position, stating, “The world is actually looking at us. People are beginning to realize that this is the heart of this country, and the survival of this country is from here.” He highlighted recent high-level engagements with key government offices, including the Ministry for Livestock Development and the Ministry of State for Industry etc, noting their enthusiastic support for the Council’s initiatives.
The DG further highlighted the issues that led to the establishment of the training school. “When I started, I noticed we had a challenge in terms of human resources, and I said we were going to correct it ourselves,” he stated. He expressed satisfaction with the inaugural training, praising the team for their dedication.
He appreciated the Consultant and staff of the training school for their efforts in making the event a success and urged participants to take the initiative seriously.
“This is not just training. You are the first group, and we are happy, but we must continue to improve and take this seriously going forward,” he concluded, calling for a deeper commitment to skills development in subsequent training sessions.
The DG also commended the Pioneer Dean of the Training School, Dr. Ifeyinwa Chidiogo Olife, her lieutenant, Mr. Agwu Kama Onuogbu, and the resource persons, Engr. Obassi Ettu, Engr. Olarongbe Aduagba and others for making the Training a success.
Also present at the closing ceremony were Directors, Deputy Directors as well as aides to the DG.
