Tolu Aiyegbusi
The Federal Government says it remains steadfast in its ongoing mission to revolutionise Nigeria’s industrial landscape using local raw materials.
Dr. Kingsley Udeh, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, affirmed this on Monday in Abuja at the 2nd Africa Raw Materials Summit (ARMS 2026) holding between Oct.19 and Oct.20.
The event had as its theme: From African Feedstock to African Factory’.
Udeh said the summit represented the federal government’s drive to push for the transformation of the continent from a raw material exporter into a manufacturing powerhouse.
He said the summit was central to the federal government’s broader industrial transformation agenda.
“We are not just dreaming of a new economy, we are engineering it. By linking our research institutions directly to our industries, we are turning scientific innovation into tangible wealth right here on our shores.
“ This is how we build a nation that invents, produces, and leads,” he said.
He said the initiative underscored the administration’s commitment to building a knowledge-based economy where innovation turned abundant natural resources into finished products, jobs, and shared prosperity.
Udeh said the summit was not a one-time event but part of a continuous journey about changing narratives.
He emphasised that the summit was about turning policy into tangible action, noting that the event would review progress from the first summit, identify implementation gaps, and chart clear pathways forward.
“We must take what is ours: our minerals, our crops, our resources and turn them into products right here on our soil.
“ From African feedstock to African factories; this is not just a theme, it is our roadmap to true economic freedom,” he said.
“We are steadily building the systems, policies, and partnerships that will ensure Africa no longer ships out its raw materials only to buy them back as expensive finished goods,” the minister said.
He said the summit was serving as a platform for collective review of Nigeria’s progress, refining strategies, and finding ways of moving forward together.
Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), outlined how the Federal Government is turning the visions of the raw material sector into products.
He highlighted the proposed 30 per cent local value-addition framework and the ongoing review of the RMRDC Act as critical innovations that would incentivise industries to process resources domestically.
He said commercialising research findings and reducing reliance on foreign technology were essential for Nigeria’s true economic independence.
“Our strategy is clear: identify what we have, research how to best process it, and support our industries to produce it,” the DG said.
He said the summit was where government policy met private sector innovation and created a complete ecosystem that took resources from the ground to factories and to markets.
“We are laying a solid foundation. Every step we take brings us closer to a future where what grows and is mined in Africa, is processed, manufactured, and owned by Africa.
“This will help in creating jobs and prosperity for generations to come. The world is waiting to see what we will do with these vest economic resources.
“Our raw materials are the foundation of our industrial future. This summit will not only showcase what Africa has, it will show what Africa can build.
“We are bridging the gap between what we extract and what we create,” he said.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Senator Aminu Abbas, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting policies and legislative initiatives that promote research, innovation, local manufacturing.
The Director-General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Francis Meshioye, advocated strengthening of domestic production of raw materials.
He said that increasing local production of finished goods without improved intermediate inputs would limit local value addition.
He further said that the use of locally sourced raw materials rose from 51.5 per cent in 2021 to 57.1 per cent in recent times.
“The rise in local sourcing to 57.1 per cent is encouraging but Nigeria still has a major gap in domestic production and value addition,” he said. (NAN)
Edited by Uche Anunne
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