RMRDC targets 1.2m jobs with 30% raw materials value addition

The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) aims to create more than 1.2 million skilled jobs in Nigeria within five years by mandating a 30% increase in the value of raw materials before they are exported, according to Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, the council's Director-General. This proposal, set to be enacted through the Raw Materials 30% Mandatory Value Addition Bill, aims to transform Nigeria from exporting raw commodities to processing and manufacturing them domestically.

The bill is set to receive presidential approval, and it will play a significant role in the upcoming 2nd Africa Raw Materials Summit (ARMS 2026) in Abuja. The summit, themed "From African Feedstock to African Factories," will gather over 1,800 delegates from across Africa and international industrial partners. Key issues to be addressed at the summit include logistics, infrastructure, value addition, regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and technology commercialisation.

The RMRDC has also developed the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP) and secured certifications to support its initiatives. The council has partnered with the Bank of Industry to support post-harvest processing and reduce supply-chain losses, and established a technology transfer partnership with the National Innovation Centre in Shanghai, China, to commercialise local research and development.

The 2026 edition of the summit aims to deepen the implementation of the policies and initiatives launched at the inaugural event in 2025 and advance resource-based industrialisation across Africa.