By Chidimma Ike-Muonso
The event, which drew stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, was marked by an impressive exhibition of Nigeria’s vast array of raw materials, including special focus on those sourced from Enugu State. The Council’s booth featured processed and semi-processed samples of agricultural, mineral, and industrial raw materials, demonstrating the country’s potential for local content development and job creation.
The DG/CEO, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Mounso represented by the Deputy Director R&D Commercialization, Alhaji Umar Mukthar, emphasized the Council’s commitment to driving industrial development through sustainable raw materials utilization. He highlighted Enugu State’s strategic relevance, pointing to its rich deposits of coal, kaolin, gypsum, limestone and a variety of agricultural products such as cassava, oil bean, fruits, and palm produce. He also highlighted some of the roles of RMRDC to include: promoting research and development (R&D) for raw materials processing; facilitating industrial linkages by bridging the gap between researchers, raw materials producers, and productive industrial ecosystem.
He also revealed a significant policy milestone achieved by the Council – the recent presentation of a bill to the National Assembly seeking to enforce that no raw materials should be exported from Nigeria without undergoing a minimum of 30 percent value addition. This is a bold step towards curbing the indiscriminate export of raw materials and encouraging local processing, technology development, and industrial growth.
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A major highlight of the event was the Council’s official announcement of the upcoming Africa Raw Materials Summit, scheduled to take place in Abuja from 20th to 22nd May 2025. The landmark summit will bring together policy makers, investors, industry leaders, and experts, from across Africa and beyond to explore strategies for unlocking Africa’s vast raw materials potential and advancing industrial growth through sustainable value addition. He urged stakeholders to seize the opportunity of the organization’s presence at the trade fair to interact with his team and explore potential areas for partnership, investment, and innovation.
In his welcome address, President of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir, Odeiga Jideonwo, said South East Nigeria was blessed with natural resources and very fertile agrarian land, which makes the region a veritable area for achieving RMRDC mandate.
“Let me therefore, quickly request that RMRDC, should apply every possible technique as well as partner with organizations like ECCIMA, MAN etc to ensure that the volume of raw materials produced from the 2 is increased consistently, as this will also impact positively on the GDP of the entire South East.”
Dr. Uche Arinze-Nwosu, Anambra State Coordinator, in her speech gave an overview of the Council’s operation, including its mandate. She outlined the Council’s strategic efforts – from pioneering research and training programs for small-scale processors to forging partnerships with academic institutions for innovative material development.
Enugu State Coordinator, Engr. Henrietta Ude, in her remarks called on Nigerians particularly industrialists to always look inward in sourcing raw materials. She emphasized the urgent need for Nigerian manufacturers to embrace local sourcing. She described it as not only a patriotic gesture but a wise economic move. “sourcing locally lowers production costs, creates jobs, and propels regional development,” she
noted.
