By Adaora Adibe
As the calendar turns closer to May, the anticipation surrounding a groundbreaking event grows louder across Africa and beyond. The Africa Raw Materials Summit, hosted by Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), under the leadership of the Director-General, Prof. Nnanyelugo M. Ike, Muonso is slated to take place from May 20th to 22nd, 2025 — a date already marked as historic in the making.
This summit, the first of its kind, is set to span three days and will revolve around the following themes:
- DAY ONE: Paving the Path to Transformation: Unlocking Africa’s Raw Materials Potential.
- DAY TWO: Driving Innovation for Economic Growth: Exploring Cutting-Edge Solutions for Africa’s Raw Materials Industry.
- DAY THREE: Charting a Collaborative Future: Forging Partnerships for a Sustainable and Prosperous Africa.
The aim is to showcase Africa’s vast and largely untapped wealth of raw materials, positioning the continent as a global hub for innovation, industrialization, and sustainable development. For years, Africa has been described as a land rich in resources yet poor in processing capacity. That narrative is about to change.
RMRDC, a vital parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology (FMIST), has long been at the forefront of raw materials development. With an unwavering vision and mission, the Council has steadily led the charge to identify, utilize, and promote local raw materials in Nigeria — and now, it’s expanding that vision to include the entire continent.
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According to the Director-General of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo the summit is more than an event — it’s a movement. “This is Africa’s time. We are no longer just suppliers of raw resources. We are creators, processors, and innovators. The Africa Raw Materials Summit will send a strong message to the world that Africa is open for business — on our terms,” he said.
He further stated “Africa is rich in natural resources; both mineral and agricultural resources, however, the continent has struggled to capitalise on the resources, with many countries exporting without adding values to them. This has resulted in limited economic benefits and of industrial development, which shouldn’t be allowed to continue.
The summit is a call for unity, innovation, and strategic investment, urging African nations to look inward, build capacity, and create industries that not only serve the continent but compete globally.
Nigeria, as the “Giant of Africa,” continues to play a leading role in driving this agenda. The country’s strides in local content development, industrial policy reforms, and raw material value-chain optimization are setting an example for others to follow. RMRDC’s vision aligns seamlessly with Africa’s broader goal of industrial emancipation — to transform raw potential into real prosperity.
Indeed, it is time to emancipate Africa from decades of dependency on imported technologies and finished goods. The dream of building African conglomerates — strong, competitive, and rooted in indigenous resources — is no longer far-fetched. With the right policies, partnerships, and passion, the continent can rise to its rightful place as a global economic powerhouse.
The upcoming summit promises to be a melting pot of policymakers, industrial leaders, researchers, investors, and development partners. It’s a platform to forge new alliances, unveil innovations, and champion a future where Africa controls the narrative of its resources.
The summit is loaded with numerous benefits for partners and participants. A rare golden opportunity as follows:
- Unlock Africa’s raw materials potential- discover strategies to transform Africa’s resources into industrial growth.
- Gain cutting-edge insights and solutions- Learn about the latest technologies
- Unparalleled networking -connect to global stakeholders
- Regional focus- Gain insights into East, West, North and Southern Africa’s opportunities.
- Learn from data-driven systems- Raw Materials Information systems (RMIS)
- Value addition and economic growth – Explore pathways to local processing and global market competitiveness.
The euphoria of the awareness campaigns is highly gathering momentum, from the online media, to the broadcast media and print. In addition, the summit is gaining traction globally. Just recently, the awareness started streaming on Cable News Network (CNN) worldwide, which is the most honoured brand in cable news, widely distributed in over 200 countries and territories, among many other international media.
The world needs to hear it and plan big for its Participation. The time to create a change is now or never. We are all geared up!
Yes, we can. Yes, we must. And yes, with bold steps like this, Africa will.
