The Director-General of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Nnanyelugo M. Ike-Muonso, has called for Africa to take ownership of its developmental destiny through innovation, research and collaboration in the raw materials ecosystem.
He stated this Thursday in Abuja, during a pre-event press conference, ahead of the Maiden Edition of the 2025 Africa Raw Materials Summit, slated to hold at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Tuesday, from May 20 to 22, with several participating African countries.
Prof Ike-Muonso said the Summit is the first of its kind on the continent and is expected to serve as a catalytic platform for African nations to look inward, harness their abundant natural resources, and drive sustainable industrial development.
He revealed that Africa is abundantly endowed with over 30 per cent of the world’s strategic raw materials—ranging from agricultural produce to critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, and rare earth elements.
He lamented that, despite the rich mineral resources, “paradoxically, African economies continue to operate at the lower levels of global value chains due to excessive dependence on exporting unprocessed raw materials.”
He said the Council is leading a bold, coordinated shift from extraction to transformation, from exporting potential to industrializing value and from economic vulnerability to continental resilience, through a proposed 30 Percent Value Addition Mandate Bill, which is now under consideration at the National Assembly.
He said bill seeks to mandate that no less than 30 per cent of all raw materials be locally processed before export. It is not just a policy initiative; it is strategic economic common sense and a form of national defence.