By Stella Azi, Adaora Adibe, & Moyofoluwa Ogunyemi
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has been commended for its dedication to advancing local raw materials content development and fostering industrial partnerships. This commendation was made during a strategic courtesy visit by delegates from RMRDC led by the Director General, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, to Honeywell Flour Mills, a subsidiary of Flour Mills Apapa Lagos, Nigeria. The visit sought to create awareness and partnership on the forth-coming African Raw Materials Summit, as well as engage key manufacturing companies in discussions on sustainable raw materials sourcing and utilization.
Speaking during the visit, the Director-General, Prof. Nnanyelugo, pointed out that Africa’s raw materials market remains largely untapped and revealed the mission of the Council to unlock Africa’s raw materials potential. He stressed the importance of exploring intra-African trade and industrial collaboration to reduce reliance on external imports. It was on this premise that he introduced the upcoming African Raw Materials Summit scheduled to be held at the Continental Hotel, Abuja, from 20th – 22nd, May 2025. He emphasized that the Summit would serve as a platform for stakeholders to share knowledge, discuss industry trends and explore innovative solutions to raw materials challenges.
Throwing more light on the discourse, the Consultant and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the Summit, Prof. Bernard Odoh, emphasized that a partnership between Honeywell Flour Mills, RMRDC and the public sector would yield mutual benefits to all stakeholders. He acknowledged the company’s high dependence on imported raw materials due to the limited capacity for local production. He further elaborated on the Legislative Bill on 30% value-addition to raw materials before export, currently being sponsored by RMRDC, stating that its successful passage would help ensure that raw materials can be locally sourced and processed to meet required industry specifications. Prof. Odoh also noted that the Summit would assemble key stakeholders, including industrialists, researchers and policy-makers within the raw materials value chain, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and policy discussions. Additionally, he suggested that Honeywell Flour Mills could leverage the event to showcase its diverse products and innovations by participating as a partner or exhibitor.
While applauding this initiative, the Head of Site Operations, Honeywell Flour Mills, Mr. Isunoya Bonniface acknowledged the critical role of raw materials sourcing in manufacturing, stating that it accounts for approximately 80% of business costs. He explained that essential food products such as bread, semolina and noodles rely heavily on wheat, for which demand is exceptionally high. He further revealed that, although Flour Mills of Nigeria currently sources a small percentage of wheat locally, the company has, through backward integration, initiated partnerships with farmers in Northern Nigeria to cultivate wheat and provide agricultural support.
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He, however, pointed out that the variety of wheat grown locally is only suitable for one specific product, whereas their diverse product range requires different types of wheat varieties. To address this challenge, he revealed that Flour Mills of Nigeria is actively exploring ways to cultivate wheat varieties suitable for processing into other diverse products.
Additionally, Mr. Bonniface mentioned that Flour Mills has a local inclusion scheme, through which it procures and processes grains such as sorghum and millet from Northern Nigeria. The company has also set up a mini processing plant located at Kano for further processing of these Agro raw materials needed for their production which is aimed, to expand the utilization of alternative flour products beyond traditional consumption patterns.
Recognizing the significance of the African Raw Materials Summit, Mr. Bonniface commended the efforts of RMRDC in organizing the Summit, particularly at this crucial time and expressed his commitment to advancing discussions with RMRDC on raw materials development. He assured the RMRDC team that all Business Units within Flour Mills of Nigeria would be encouraged to support the participation of their members of staff in the event.
