Excessive export of unprocessed raw materials fueling insecurity in Nigeria — RMRDC boss

..as Nigeria hosts Africa raw materials summit in Abuja

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo M. Ike-Muonso, has revealed that the security challenge and conflicts being witnessed in some parts of the country are largely caused by excessive exportation of unprocessed raw materials from Nigeria.

He observed that even though the country is endowed with an avalanche of mineral resources, a lot of them are illegally mined and exported, saying the practice has encouraged kidnapping for ransom and various forms of communal conflicts in the country.

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Ike-Muonso made the disclosures at the pre-event news conference ahead of the Africa Raw Materials Summit 2025, scheduled to take place from May 20th to 22nd May, 2025 in Abuja.

He noted that the summit, with the theme ‘Shaping the Future of Africa’s Resource Landscape’, is far more than just another high-level gathering. He added that over 1,000 top-level delegates and distinguished guests from across the African continent have confirmed their participation.

The RMRDC boss revealed that one of the core objectives of the summit was to mobilise continental consensus around the urgency of industrialising Africa’s resource base through innovation and value addition.

He said: “It is a continental call to action, a moment for Africa to rise and take its rightful place as a global centre for industrial innovation, value creation, and resource sovereignty.

“As we all know, 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.

“Yet, paradoxically, African economies continue to operate at the lower levels of global value chains due to excessive dependence on exporting unprocessed raw materials.

“This economic model is unsustainable. It deprives our nations of jobs, industrial growth, foreign exchange earnings, and the opportunity to become technological leaders in the global market.

“Now is the time for a bold, coordinated shift from extraction to transformation, from exporting potential to industrialising value, and from economic vulnerability to continental resilience,” he said.

The DG noted that central to this transformation is the proposed 30 Per cent Value Addition Mandate Bill, which the Raw Materials Research and Development Council has vigorously championed and is now under consideration at the National Assembly.

According to him, the 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,” he stated.

Ike-Muonso expressed optimism the bill when passed into law would stem the tide of capital flight caused by unprocessed exports, address issue of insecurity and conflicts, stimulate local processing industries, create sustainable jobs across multiple sectors, enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in global markets, and build a strong, self-reliant African industrial base.

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