By Chinaza Nwaubani
The Bayelsa State Coordinating Office of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has commenced discussions with Ebedebiri Starch Company Limited on a strategic partnership to boost local starch production, promote value addition, and strengthen industrial development in Bayelsa State. The move was initiated during an industrial visit by the Council to the company’s production facility in Ebedebiri Community, Sagbama Local Government Area, as part of RMRDC’s mandate to enhance the utilization of locally available raw materials for sustainable economic growth.
The visit was led by Mrs Nwaubani Faith Chinaza of RMRDC, who was received by the General Manager, Dr. (Mrs.) Ann Uchenna.
Speaking during the visit, Mrs. Nwaubani introduced the RMRDC team and stated that the purpose of the visit was to identify technical gaps affecting productivity and product quality, while also providing advisory support on improved processing, packaging, and branding of locally produced goods.
She stated that the engagement formed part of the Council’s ongoing efforts to interact with local industries, assess their operational capacity, and identify opportunities for collaboration that would enhance the utilization of locally available raw materials for industrial growth. This could not be achieved without proper partnership/collaboration with the industries who are into production in the manufacturing sector of the economy.
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She further highlighted the Council’s mandate of promoting the development and optimal utilization of Nigeria’s abundant raw materials to support sustainable industrial development. Mrs. Nwaubani explained that such engagements enable the Council to better understand the needs and challenges of local manufacturers, explore ways to provide technical support, and link them with relevant government programmes.
She also used the opportunity to brief the General Manager of Edbedebiri Starch Company Limited, Dr. (Mrs.) Ann Uchenna
on some of the Council’s recent and upcoming initiatives. She informed the company about the proposed 30% value addition policy, which seeks to ensure that Nigerian raw materials undergo significant local processing before export, in order to boost industrialization, create employment, and increase national revenue. Mrs Nwaubani also mentioned the upcoming African Raw Materials Summit, scheduled to hold from June 23 to 25, 2026, in Abuja.
The General Manager of Edbedebiri Starch Company Limited, Dr. (Mrs.) Ann Uchenna welcomed the RMRDC delegation and expressed appreciation for the Council’s interest in the company’s operations. She said the purpose of the company’s establishment was to solely produce starch, which is mainly used to further produce industrial starch for different companies. She noted that the company produces starch on a very large scale for merchants like pharmaceuticals, food processing industries, animal farmers etc.
Dr. Uchenna stated that the company, which manufactures only organic products, started its operation in 2023 and since then it has grown and expanded massively, thereby distributing starch in all 36 states of the federation, ensuring all procedures are done with fresh cassava tubers.
“We source raw materials locally, and the main raw material is cassava, which we liaise with local farmers from different locations in the state to supply to the company. In addition, the company has its own vast land where cassava is massively grown for the company’s use; nevertheless, the company still sources outside its farm to meet the demand for starch from different users across the country,” she stated.
She further disclosed that the company currently processes approximately 240 tonnes of cassava daily, yielding about 60 tonnes of high-quality organic starch. According to her, the production process involves separating water and fibre from the cassava extract. The wastewater, which contains cyanogenic compounds harmful to human health, is carefully treated as a waste product, while the fibre is supplied to piggery farmers for use as animal feed. After the removal and filtration of the water and fibre, the resulting cassava milk is dried into cassava cake and subsequently processed into organic starch.
Despite these efforts, the General Manager Dr. Ann Uchenna, complained about the different bottlenecks the company faced, which are negatively affecting its production and distribution of finished goods. These include low patronage of its products, inadequate funding, and unfavourable government policies, which continue to affect its growth potential.
The RMRDC team also toured the company’s production facility, inspecting key equipment such as the sieve machine, peeling and washing machine, hydro cyclone machine, dryer, etc., for the production process. The visit provided an opportunity for both parties to discuss possible technical support, knowledge sharing, and collaboration aimed at improving production efficiency and promoting the wider acceptance of locally manufactured products.
At the end of the visit, the company expressed its willingness to partner with RMRDC in advancing the use of Nigerian raw materials and strengthening the production of Made-in-Nigeria products.
The visit successfully established a platform for future collaboration between RMRDC and Ebedebiri Starch Company Limited and reinforces the Council’s commitment to supporting local industries and promoting value addition for sustainable economic development.
