The Federal Government says it remains committed to transforming Nigeria’s industrial landscape by promoting the use of locally sourced raw materials.
Dr Kingsley Udeh, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said this on Monday in Abuja at the second Africa Raw Materials Summit (ARMS 2026), holding from Oct. 19 to Oct. 20.
The summit’s theme is “From African Feedstock to African Factory”.
Udeh said the summit reflected the Federal Government’s drive to transform the continent from a raw material exporter into a manufacturing powerhouse.
He said the summit was central to the 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 in which innovation would transform abundant natural resources into finished products, jobs and shared prosperity.
Udeh said the summit was not a one-off event but part of a continuous effort to change the narrative.
He emphasised that the summit was about translating policy into tangible action, noting that it would review progress made since the first edition, 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 would provide an opportunity to collectively review Nigeria’s progress, refine strategies and move forward together.
Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), outlined how the Federal Government was translating its vision for the raw materials sector into tangible products.
He highlighted the proposed 30 per cent local value-addition framework and the ongoing review of the RMRDC Act as critical measures to incentivise industries to process resources domestically.
He said commercialising research findings and reducing reliance on foreign technology were essential to achieving Nigeria’s economic independence.
“Our strategy is clear: identify what we have, research how to best process it, and support our industries to produce it,” the director-general said.
He said the summit provided a platform for government policy and private-sector innovation to work together to create an ecosystem that moved resources from the ground to factories and 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 create jobs and prosperity for generations to come. The world is waiting to see what we will do with these vast 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 Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Francis Meshioye, advocated stronger domestic production of raw materials.
He said increasing local production of finished goods without improving the supply of intermediate inputs would limit local value addition.
He added that the use of locally sourced raw materials had risen 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.
