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| Photo Credit — Prof Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso |
Nigeria’s Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) says a proposed policy requiring at least 30 per cent value addition on local raw materials before export could create more than 1.2 million skilled jobs within five years.
Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, Director-General of RMRDC, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja. The briefing was held ahead of the 2nd Africa Raw Materials Summit (ARMS 2026), scheduled for 19–20 October at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Shifting from Raw Exports to Local Processing
The proposed Raw Materials 30% Mandatory Value Addition Bill is currently awaiting presidential assent. According to the RMRDC boss, the legislation is designed to move Nigeria away from exporting unprocessed commodities toward domestic processing and manufacturing.
Key expected benefits include:
• Conserving foreign exchange through greater import substitution
• Strengthening the country’s foreign reserves
• Raising the contribution of manufacturing to the national economy
Ike-Muonso described the bill as a major pillar of this year’s summit, which carries the theme “From African Feedstock to African Factories.”
Africa Raw Materials Summit 2026: Bigger Ambitions
The 2026 edition is expected to attract more than 1,800 delegates from all 54 African countries as well as global industrial partners—nearly double the attendance of the inaugural summit held in May 2025.
That first edition, themed “Shaping the Future of Africa’s Resource Landscape,” drew over 1,000 participants. The forthcoming event aims to deepen the policies and initiatives launched last year and accelerate resource-based industrialisation across the continent.
Five Key Pillars of the Summit
RMRDC has identified five major focus areas intended to remove structural barriers that prevent African raw materials from reaching local manufacturing plants:
1. Logistics and infrastructure – Poor transportation networks, inadequate cold-chain facilities, rural roads, and gaps in testing and certification continue to hinder the movement of materials from farms and mines to processing plants. The summit will bring together logistics operators, government agencies and standardisation bodies to develop reliable supply corridors.
2. Value addition – Centred on the proposed 30 per cent mandatory processing requirement.
3. Circular economy
4. Regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
5. Technology commercialisation and access to capital
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Practical Steps Already Taken by RMRDC
The Council has introduced several concrete tools and partnerships:
• The Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP), a digital platform that provides data on raw material deposits, specifications, production outputs and industrial absorption rates.
• ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification.
• Certification by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission as a Data Controller/Processor of Major Importance.
• An operational agreement with the Bank of Industry to support commercial-scale post-harvest processing and reduce supply-chain losses in commodities such as onions, grains and industrial minerals.
• A technology transfer partnership with the National Innovation Centre par Excellence (NICE) in Shanghai, China, to help commercialise local research and development.
What to Expect at ARMS 2026
The summit programme will feature policy dialogues involving African ministers and other stakeholders, interactive panel discussions, an advanced raw materials and technology exhibition, industrial site visits, and the African Raw Materials Industry Awards.
Ike-Muonso called on the media to move beyond the role of spectators and actively track implementation of the proposed 30 per cent value-addition requirement. “You are partners in continental development,” he told journalists, urging them to hold relevant institutions accountable and report progress on Africa’s industrial transformation.
Why This Matters
If successfully implemented, the mandatory value-addition policy and the broader agenda of the Africa Raw Materials Summit could significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on raw commodity exports, create skilled employment, and strengthen local manufacturing capacity. The coming months—particularly the presidential decision on the bill and the outcomes of ARMS 2026—will be important indicators of how quickly these ambitions translate into results.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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