By Stella Azi
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has organized a three-day management retreat for its top management staff as part of efforts to re-examine its statutory mandate and reposition the Council for greater impact.
The retreat, themed “Future-Proofing RMRDC: Strategic Foresight and Import Substitution Leadership Workshop,” is holding at the Grand Pela Hotel and Suites, Durumi, Abuja. It is a strategic management initiative aimed at reassessing the Council’s operations in line with its establishing mandate, enhancing its value proposition, and creating a more effective and focused operational structure.
Declaring the retreat open, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, who addressed both past and present Directors of the Council in attendance, reiterated that RMRDC was established by the Federal Government primarily to drive Import Substitution of raw materials and ensure increased utilization of locally sourced raw materials by Nigeria’s industrial sector.
However, he observed that the Council appears to have drifted from its core mandate.
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“Sometimes, it appears we are a bit far away from the purpose of our existence. The challenge is that our programmes and projects are not properly structured to meet the requirements of our mandate,” he lamented.
While noting that RMRDC’s programmes and projects are largely noble, Professor Ike-Muonso explained that a closer assessment reveals overlaps and conflicts with the mandates of other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Ministries of Agriculture and Solid Minerals. According to him, this has resulted in unhealthy competition and conflicts of interest, with some agencies perceiving RMRDC as a rival.
The DG further disclosed that import substitution, which forms the foundation of the Council’s establishment, is not sufficiently reflected in its current structure.
“Import Substitution does not exist as a Division, Unit or Department, and it does not feature prominently in our programmes and projects, even though it is the very reason the Council was established,” he stated.
He also identified Competitiveness as another critical aspect of the Council’s mandate that has not received adequate attention, noting that although the Directorate responsible for its operation exist in the Council, it lacks proper contextual alignment.
Prof. Ike-Muonso therefore stressed the need for the Council to undertake deep introspection to understand when and how the deviation from its mandate began. He described the retreat as a platform for rediscovering purpose, strengthening leadership focus, and addressing systemic gaps.
“This retreat is an opportunity to retrace our steps, go back to our history, rediscover our roots, and clearly define our purpose for existence,” he said.
“If we rediscover our purpose and align our programmes, projects and organizational structure to deliver on that purpose effectively, we will command greater respect, improve institutional confidence, and clearly define our identity within the ecosystem of government agencies.”
In his remarks, the Resource Person and consultant, Prof. Dairu Sani, Rector of Kaduna State Business School, commended Prof. Ike-Muonso for his leadership foresight and courage in initiating the retreat. He described the decision to critically review the Council’s mandate and implementation strategy as a bold and progressive step.
Prof. Sani noted that one of the defining qualities of effective leadership is anticipation and foresight, which enables leaders to think ahead and position institutions for sustainable successes.
He emphasized that the performance of any organization is largely determined by the quality of its leadership, adding that the RMRDC Director-General has clearly demonstrated these attributes through the retreat initiative.
