RMRDC kicks against poor local sourcing of raw materials in manufacturing

Director General/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, has railed against the fact that despite efforts at improving the use of locally-sourced materials for manufacturing inputs in the country, 70 per cent of manufacturing inputs deployed in the economy are still imported from other countries.

According to him, the development is a sign of a structural weakness: export of the nation’s raw materials in their crude form, import in refined quality, and surrendering jobs and value offshore.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of this year’s three-day Nigeria Raw Materials (NIRAM) and Nigeria Manufacturing & Equipment (NME) Expo held in Lagos yesterday, he said this year’s theme, “Accelerating Sustainable Manufacturing through Cutting-edge Technology Solutions,” is more than a reflection of global trends, but a clarion call for Nigeria to decisively reposition itself within the dynamics of the fourth industrial revolution.

He lamented the real sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP, which he noted remained below 10 per cent, standing at 9.62 per cent in Q1 2025, dropping from 9.8 per cent achieved in the same period last year.

He said this even as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) reported that raw material imports surged by 119 per cent to ₦4.53 trillion ($11 billion) in the first nine months of 2024 alone and kept climbing.

According to him, with over 120 commercially viable solid minerals, vast agricultural resources, and a young population, Nigeria does not lack potential, but lacks strategic coordination, implementation and technology-backed commitment.