The Federal Government has appealed to local and international investors to take advantage of the high-quality raw material resources developed by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to promote the establishment of resource-based industries in Nigeria.
The Deputy Director, Engineering Design, Development and Technical Assistant to the Director General (DG) of the Council, Engr. Ettu Obassi, said this during a guided tour of facilities of the council in Abuja.
The tour which was meant to showcase the achievements of the Director-General of RMRDC, Prof. Hussain Ibrahim, took journalists to RMRDC’s resource as well as demonstration centres which contained over 21 pilot plants for the manufacturing of different products.
Engr. Obassi said over the years, RMRDC has created a data bank on raw materials availability, uses and technology for the use of investors, but the response to take up these raw materials has not been as high as expected.
According to him, “Many of our successful research and projects are ready for commercialisation by potential investors. We are ready to provide whatever support is needed to help them succeed.”
While explaining the achievements of the Council, Obassi informed that the RMRDC has established an agriculture and minerals resources International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification laboratory in Abuja.
He said the aim of the ISO lab is to analyse agro and mineral resources produced in accordance with international standards for exportation. This according to him, was created to curb the short-changing of exporters by other investors.
He said, “The laboratory is part of RMRDC’s response to the nation’s requirements for quality infrastructure. Exporters can short-change themselves by exporting their raw materials raw, what you need is value addition and it can be done by knowing what is inside the raw materials.
“It is done when the laboratory provides you with a characterization of what is contained in the raw materials and with it the raw materials’ value rises.”
Also speaking, Director, of Corporate Services, RMRDC, Chukwuma Ngaha, said Nigeria experienced challenges in exporting some of its raw materials due to the inability of her exporters to meet international quality and safety standards set by foreign buyers.
He said some of the raw materials that have been reported to be rejected or facing challenges in export include sesame seeds, cashew nuts and cocoa beans, among others.
Ngaha said the council is focusing on research and development to create raw materials that meet international standards and are competitive in the global market.
“This will, in turn, lead to a reduction in importation and capital flight in Nigeria. It is also a means to promote local content development and increase the country’s revenue generation,” he said.
Ngaha noted that the RMRDC has a mandate to promote the development and utilization of Nigeria’s raw materials.
According to him, “The council is working to achieve this by promoting research and development activities, creating awareness among stakeholders, and building capacity in the sector.
“We have many pilot plants at the demonstration centre doing really well, the equipment are locally designed, fabricated and installed, they are all operational.
“As we speak, we have a plant that produces the artesunate tea which is well sought after because of the potential in combating the scourge of malaria.
“It is a beverage that can serve medicinal purposes, we have the shea butter/ essential oil plant, water-borne paint production plant, castor oil plant, caustic soda equipment plant, and soap noddles plant.
“These are producing critical raw materials that have been lacking and causing a lot of investors to either import or close up.
“We also have the facility that produces Lovastatin, a drug used in the reduction of cholesterol in the body.
“The raw materials are sourced from oyster mushrooms or red yield rice for the care of cardiovascular diseases.”
