By Temidayo Igwebuike
The Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has described the Council as “the future of Nigeria.” He made this statement during a courtesy visit by delegates from the National Quality Council (NQC) and the British Standards Institution (BSI) to the Council’s headquarters in Abuja.
Leading the delegation, Dr. Bola Fashina, Chief of Staff to the Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Quality Council, stated that the visit was aimed at exploring collaboration with the Council to develop a methodology for monitoring the quality standards of exportable raw materials—ensuring they align with global best practices.
He said, “We need to build quality infrastructure so that Nigerians do not continue wasting foreign exchange on services they can easily access locally.” Dr. Fashina further disclosed that the NQC is currently focusing on commodities such as coffee, cocoa, tea, and cashew.
In response, Mrs. Rachel Kotso, Director of the Policy, Planning and Statistics Department, briefed the BSI team on the extensive work RMRDC has carried out over time in these sectors.
You Might AlsoLike
In his remarks, Prof. Ike-Muonso said the delegation was “divinely sent” to support the Council’s ongoing initiatives. He emphasized that value addition is a core mandate of the Council, and as such, ensuring quality and standardization falls squarely within its responsibilities.
He stressed the need for at least 30% value addition on all exportable raw materials, asserting that exporting raw materials in their unprocessed form is not in the country’s best interest. He also advocated for the inclusion of solid minerals in the value addition drive, noting that the sector faces the same neglect as agriculture.
Prof. Ike-Muonso added that instead of Western nations emphasizing exports, the focus should shift to beneficiation, which he described as a primary decision-making criterion. He expressed optimism that the collaboration, if effectively executed, would boost revenue generation, employment, and economic prosperity in Nigeria.
As a next step, the DG requested that selected Council staff be trained through a Train-the-Trainer programme, to ensure RMRDC’s full participation and effective rollout of the initiative across all its state offices nationwide.
Earlier in the meeting, Mr. Kollere, Director of the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Department, outlined various projects the Council has implemented to improve raw material quality standards. These efforts culminated in the establishment of an ISO Training Centre. He also mentioned past collaborations with key regulatory bodies including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
In her remarks, Mrs. Chinyere Nnamdi-Anum, Deputy Director, Raw Materials Cluster Development, reaffirmed the importance of the 30% value addition bill—a proposed legislation from the Council. She stated that, if passed into law, it would significantly reduce the export of unprocessed raw materials from Nigeria.
