By Oluwasola Marinho, Moyofoluwa Ogunyemi & Olumuyiwa Odesanya
As preparations intensify for the 2025 edition of the Nigeria Manufacturing and Equipment (NME) co-located with the Nigerian Raw Materials Exposition (NIRAM), which is scheduled to hold at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, from 5th to 7th August, 2025, the Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo M. Ike-Muonso, has once again reiterated Council’s unwavering commitment to driving Nigeria’s industrial transformation, reducing dependence on imports and enhancing the nation’s economic resilience.
Speaking at the press conference jointly organised by RMRDC and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at MAN House, Ikeja, Lagos, Prof. Ike-Muonso, ably represented by the Overseeing Director, States Industrial Extension Services Department, Dr. (Mrs.) Edith Obi, highlighted the recent strategic engagements of the Council aimed at deepening industrial growth through raw materials development. Among these efforts, he noted a major policy milestone which is the sponsoring of the “Raw Materials Processing and Local Production Protection Bill,” which seeks to mandate 30% value-addition to all raw materials before they are exported from Nigeria. She also cited the successful organisation of the 2025 Africa Raw Materials Summit which held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Federal Capital Territory, from May 20-22, 2025.
The Summit assembled stakeholders from across government, manufacturing, finance and development sectors both in Nigeria and across Africa, to chart a new course for transformative industrialisation through value-added raw materials utilization. The most recent is the approval given by the federal government for RMRDC to activate the policy on Tax Incentives for industries which embark on research and development initiatives, especially on local content development.
The Director General further explained that the forth-coming NME-NIRAM Exposition would bring together members of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN), Business Membership Organizations (BMOs), indigenous equipment manufacturing fabricators, farmers, research and tertiary institutions, as well as Small and Medium-Scale Entrepreneurs (SMEs). The Expo, he added, would promote self-sufficiency in the manufacturing value-chain in Nigeria.
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Also speaking at the event, the President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, OFR, applauded the continued efforts of RMRDC in advancing the manufacturing sector initiatives in Nigeria. He commended the consistent collaboration with RMRDC on the NME-NIRAM Expo since 2016 and encouraged stakeholders across the various value-chains to participate in the 2025 edition. Otunba Meshioye emphasised that the 2025 Expo would serve as a vital platform for equipment manufacturers, raw materials producers, processors and local fabricators to showcase new and emerging technologies, machinery, equipment and innovations. He also stated that the forthcoming event will particularly focus on energy-efficient production systems and the adoption of smart factory technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
In his remarks, the Director-General of MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, mni, stressed the urgent need for deliberate and conscious efforts of all stakeholders to collaborate amongst themselves in order to drive Nigeria’s economic development and reduce over-reliance on imports. He noted that Nigeria is richly endowed with agricultural and mineral resources, many of which remain largely untapped. According to him, harnessing these resources through local value-addition is essential for achieving sustainable industrial growth.
