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RMRDC Urges Investors to Patronise Research Outputs, Embrace Domestic Resource Based Manufacturing
The Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC) is wooing Nigerian investors to patronise its research outputs by embracing domestic resource based manufacturing that would end Nigeria’s industrial dependency.
The RMRDC made at the Nigeria Manufacturing and Equipment/Nigerian Raw Materials (NME/NIRAM) Expo 2025 through its Director Agricultural and Agro Allied Raw Materials Department, Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Sab C. Ebiriekwe, and the Managing Director of Jola Global Industries Limited, Dr. Moses Omojola, who was formerly a director with RMRDC.
They pointed out that the Nigerian manufacturing sector is relying on importation for over 75 per cent of its industrial inputs while about 80 per cent of manufacturing firms in Nigeria are owned by foreigners.
Ebiriekwe said in his presentation titled “Harnessing Local Resources: Enhancing Value Addition Through Innovation in Raw Material Sourcing” that Nigeria is grappling with industrial dependency despite being endowed with vast natural resources, adding that no country industrialises sustainably without local raw material transformation through innovation.
He said that despite the abundance of local raw materials, only 35 per cent of local manufacturers in Nigeria could rely on steady access to local raw materials.
He added that a gap exists between research outcome and practical application as “only 5.0 per cent of research outputs reach commercialisation.”
According to him, Nigeria’s failure to beneficiate and industrialise its raw material is hindering its bid for economic diversification, jobs creation and export competitiveness.
“As value of industrial raw material imported in 2023 was N2.41 trillion; share of imported manufacturing inputs are over 75 per cent and non-oil export is dominated by unprocessed raw/agro products.”
Omojola, who retired as a director with RMRDC, said during the panel session that about 80 per cent of industries in Nigeria are owned by foreigners, especially Asians.
He asked: “How come Nigerians are going into manufacturing? I have lectured in the university and have worked in RMRDC for 25 years but I told myself that it will be disservice to leave RMRDC without taking home one project. And to the glory of God I am today a manufacturer in Ekiti State.”
According to him, manufacturing “is very stressful but more rewarding,” which is the reason Asians are coming to Nigeria? “When I ask my Asian friends why they are in Nigeria they will reply that Nigeria is good. And now that I have started manufacturing, I have known that Nigeria is good,” he said.
Omojola also challenged politicians to invest the money they have made from politics into manufacturing in order to create more jobs in the economy.
“We should be going into resource based industry. I produce vegetable oil. Today, Indonesia and Malaysia cannot bring in vegetable oil into Nigeria because our own price is cheaper than their own. Therefore, no imported vegetable oil can compete with us,” he said.
The Founder of AfricanFarmer Discovery Hub, Mr. AfricanFarmer Mogaji, said that chemical extracted from water leaf had been used to coat mugs by Oluwa Glass in Ondo State.
“That was innovation. But unfortunately, it was not scaled. In Ibadan, the shell of the cashew nut had been used in making brake pads. We can revisit these innovations at Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) level,” Mogaji said.
He also urged retire military generals to invest in manufacturing like their counterparts in Malaysia that funded Malaysia’s turn around.
However, the Managing Director of Spectra Industries Limited, Mr. Duro Kuteyi, said that absence of government’s policies that could protect the SMEs is one of the reasons Nigerians are not going into manufacturing.
Kuteyi said: “Unless government will come up with policy the way India is protecting its products and SMEs, it will take time for us to grow.
“I started using Nigerian raw materials to make products like natural cocoa powder that is good for diabetics, hypertension, etc. We also use soya as one of our basic raw materials.
“But as it is currently, SMEs are finding it difficult in the market place where they are competing with multinationals that are ready to kill them and kill them totally.
“A multinationals firm went to the market and offered generators to my customers to stop dealing on my products.”
The Managing Director of FACCO West Africa, Mr. Femi Adelayo, said that wealthy Nigerians should be encouraged to embrace manufacturing rather than buying houses in Dubai.
Adelayo also said that manufacturers should be supported with a holistic robust policy to ensure their survival and enable Nigeria to withstand the emerging global trade dynamics that is being characterised by punitive tariffs.
He appealed to the RMRDC to help his livestock feed manufacturing firm with raw materials that could substitute for maize and soya. He said: “We work in the feed mill industry where we produce livestock feeds. But maize and soya are major challenges. We will like RMRDC to help us to have alternative protein production.”
Mobility technology company, Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.1 billion, reaching unicorn status.
The startup will deploy the fresh capital to build out autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow its autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by year-end.
The company plans to enter additional global markets, reflecting a strategy to build the operational infrastructure required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles.
Led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific, the round also included new investors BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, alongside existing backers BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton and Uber.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an infrastructure race requiring fleets, charging systems, maintenance, data infrastructure and continuous city-level operations,” said Ladi Delano, co-founder, co-CEO and advisory board chairman of Moove.
Founded in Lagos in 2020, Moove has grown into a global mobility platform employing about 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching $420 million in annualised recurring revenue.
It has expanded organically and through acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. Moove also operates autonomous vehicle fleets in partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with London expected to join its footprint.
The $2.1 billion valuation places Moove among Africa’s small group of tech unicorns, alongside Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, Andela, Chipper Cash, Wave, Tyme, MNT-Halan and Interswitch.
The $250 million round is the largest single funding deal announced by an African startup this year, though EV mobility firm Spiro raised $270 million cumulatively across two separate rounds.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, has approved the allocation of a parcel of land in Enugu, the state capital, for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund.
Mbah announced this while receiving a delegation from the Industrial Training Fund on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.
The ITF disclosed this on Friday in a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Thomas Ngor.
According to the statement, Mbah described the proposed project as timely and aligned with his administration’s vision of transforming Enugu into a leading destination for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development.
He noted that the future of economic prosperity lies in deliberate investments in human capital and emerging technologies, adding that the state has continued to create an enabling environment for innovation, enterprise and sustainable growth.
The governor explained that his administration has made technical education compulsory in the state’s basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics to prepare learners for the future of work.
According to him, many traditional trades are now driven by digital technologies, making it imperative to equip young people with relevant technical competencies that will enable them to compete globally and contribute meaningfully to economic development.
Governor Mbah further disclosed that his administration has built smart schools across the state, equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern learning facilities, to prepare youths for the evolving global economy.
He noted that artificial intelligence is expected to contribute about $20tn to the global economy in the coming years.
He therefore stressed that the state must be intentional about upskilling its citizens, adding that the establishment of the ITF Digital Fabrication Centre will significantly strengthen the state’s drive to build a knowledge-based economy, foster innovation, promote local manufacturing and create employment opportunities for its growing youthful population.
Earlier, Afiz Ogun, the Director-General of the ITF, who led the delegation, said that upon his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, he was mandated to upskill Nigerian artisans to international standards.
He explained that the Fund subsequently repositioned its technical and vocational skills development efforts through strategic initiatives, including the Skill-Up Artisans Programme, which is designed to train, certify and license Nigerian artisans to international standards.
Ogun disclosed that the Fund had already established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with the capacity to produce more than 400 different products. He therefore requested the allocation of land in Enugu State to establish a similar centre with the same production capacity.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at promoting industrialisation, reducing dependence on imports and preparing Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He also reaffirmed the Fund’s readiness to enter into public-private partnerships that will transform Nigeria’s artisanal ecosystem.
Ogun further noted that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and computer-aided manufacturing, are rapidly transforming the global economy, making it imperative for Nigeria to deliberately invest in upskilling its workforce to remain globally competitive.
The ITF delegation was later conducted on a guided tour of facilities at one of the smart schools established by the Enugu State Government.
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