RMRDC Director-General, Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, speaking on Nigeria’s industrialisation drive and the need to strengthen local raw materials utilisation in Abuja.
Nigeria could soon end the export of unprocessed raw materials as the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) pushes legislation requiring exporters to add at least 30 per cent value before shipment.
Director-General of RMRDC, Professor Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, said the proposed law would accelerate industrialisation, create jobs, attract investment and help Nigeria retain more value from its natural resources.
Speaking on Voice of Nigeria’s In the News programme in Abuja, Professor Ike-Muonso said the Council drafted the bill shortly after he assumed office. He added that the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Presidency are considering the proposal.
“Eventually, it will become law, meaning that raw materials cannot be exported from Nigeria without value being added to them. This will lay the foundation for industrialisation because local processing will be significantly expanded,” he said.
The RMRDC Director-General said exporters would have to add at least 30 per cent value to raw materials before export.
He cited cocoa as an example, saying Nigeria should process the commodity locally instead of exporting it in its raw form and importing finished products at much higher prices.
Professor Ike-Muonso said the legislation would encourage investors who currently process Nigerian raw materials abroad to establish processing plants in the country.
He said the move would promote technology transfer, strengthen local manufacturing, reduce imports, create jobs and improve foreign exchange earnings.
The Director-General added that the bill would also restrict the importation of raw materials that Nigeria already produces in sufficient quantity, ensuring steady supplies for local industries and supporting domestic production.
To illustrate the benefits of value addition, he pointed to oranges, saying rural processing clusters could enable local communities, especially women, to produce orange concentrate for export instead of selling fresh fruit.
He said such processing would exceed the proposed 30 per cent value-addition threshold while generating employment, expanding technology and increasing export earnings.
Professor Ike-Muonso argued that Nigeria must break a long-standing cycle of exporting wealth through raw materials.
“Today, different countries have effectively partitioned Africa’s raw materials. Vietnam processes our cashew, India processes our cocoa, while China processes our lithium and rare earth minerals.
“This mirrors the colonial economic structure. Until we change that narrative, we will continue to lose the full value of our resources,” he said.
To support the proposed reforms, Professor Ike-Muonso said RMRDC has strengthened its institutional capacity through management reforms, digitalisation and research.
He said the Council earned the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification after improving its operations and service delivery.
The Director-General also unveiled the second-generation Nigerian Information and Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products.
He said the platform links 41 databases and provides investors, manufacturers and policymakers with free access to information on raw materials, processing technologies and investment opportunities.
Professor Ike-Muonso said RMRDC currently holds about 47 patented innovations, nearly 600 research outcomes ready for commercialisation and more than 70 locally developed processing machines.
He added that the Council has strengthened collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and signed Memoranda of Understanding with 46 universities to commercialise research and bridge the gap between academia and industry.
To deepen research and innovation, the Council has launched the Journal of Raw Materials Research.
Professor Ike-Muonso said the journal will publish peer-reviewed studies on raw materials development, manufacturing, materials science, environmental sustainability, the circular economy, industrial competitiveness and supply chain management.
He said the publication will uphold international standards of editorial independence, rigorous peer review, research integrity and ethical publishing while promoting collaboration among researchers, industry, policymakers and development partners.
The journal will also serve as a repository for research findings, processing technologies, industrial applications and value-addition opportunities across Nigeria’s raw materials sector.
Professor Ike-Muonso said RMRDC has expanded collaboration with state governments and international partners to accelerate industrial development.
He disclosed that the Council is working with the Benue State Government, while the World Export Trade Organisation has pledged to provide technologies that will support raw material processing and research.
Although he commended President Bola Tinubu for increasing support to the Council, Professor Ike-Muonso said funding remains inadequate.
“Like Oliver Twist, we continue to ask for more because we are still far from where we should be. We currently receive less than 10 per cent of the funding provided for under the law,” he said.
Professor Ike-Muonso expressed confidence that the proposed legislation would transform Nigeria’s industrial sector and encourage other African countries to process more of their natural resources locally instead of exporting them in raw form.
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