By Obot Eteng
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Cross River State Coordinating Office, placed raw materials development and value addition at the center of Cross River’s emerging trade policy during the inaugural stakeholder engagement held at Pristine Villa Hall, Calabar.
Led by the State Coordinator, Mr. Obot Anozeng Eteng, the Council presented a paper highlighting how Cross River’s abundant natural endowments can power industrial growth, jobs, and exports if the trade policy embeds clear measures for local content utilization, processing, and market access. He emphasized the need to move beyond raw commodity trade by strengthening value chains from primary production to manufacturing, while improving standards, quality infrastructure, and SME capacity to meet domestic and export demand.
The session, themed “Building an Inclusive and Competitive Trade Policy for Sustainable Growth and Job Creation,” was organized by the Ministry of Commerce and gathered government officials, private sector leaders, and development partners.
The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu in his keynote address emphasized a business-friendly environment to attract investment and create jobs; an agenda RMRDC said aligns with resource-led industrialization. Commissioner for Commerce, Dr. Abigail Duke, outlined ongoing trade promotion efforts and SME support, which the Council noted are essential enablers for raw-materials-based industries to scale.
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Discussions covered investment promotion, trade facilitation, and export development, with participants identifying constraints and opportunities across the state’s trade ecosystem. RMRDC committed technical support to the policy process, including input on raw materials utilization, value-chain mapping, and industry linkages to ensure the final framework catalyzes processing, reduces import dependence, and boosts competitiveness.
The engagement ended with a call for continued collaboration. RMRDC affirmed it will work with the Ministry of Commerce and partners to ensure the state’s trade policy anchors a raw-materials-to-industry pathway that delivers sustainable growth and jobs for Cross River State.
