RMRDC Establishes 50 Pilot Plants, Secures 45 Patents, Says Permanent Secretary
…Ministry lauds Council’s research breakthroughs, urges commercialisation of innovations
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Muktar Yawale Mohammed, has commended the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) for establishing more than 50 pilot plants and laboratories and securing over 45 patents through its research and development activities.
Mohammed gave the commendation during a familiarisation visit to the Council’s headquarters in Abuja as part of his tour of agencies under the ministry.
The visit was aimed at providing the Permanent Secretary with first-hand knowledge of the achievements, activities and challenges of agencies under the ministry while identifying opportunities to strengthen their contributions to Nigeria’s science, technology and innovation ecosystem.
During the tour, the Permanent Secretary was briefed on the Council’s research programmes and inspected facilities established to transform Nigeria’s abundant raw materials into industrial inputs for local manufacturing.
He expressed admiration for the scale of RMRDC’s research infrastructure, describing the Council’s achievements in establishing over 50 pilot plants and laboratories and obtaining more than 45 patents as significant milestones in Nigeria’s drive toward industrialisation.
Mohammed stressed the need to bridge the gap between research institutions and industry by ensuring that technologies developed through government-funded research are commercialised and deployed to address the country’s industrial needs.
He noted that research outputs should move beyond laboratories into factories and markets where they can generate jobs, stimulate investment and support economic diversification.
Earlier, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to promoting the development, processing and utilisation of Nigeria’s industrial raw materials.
He said the visit would provide the Permanent Secretary with a better understanding of the Council’s achievements and the areas where additional ministerial support is required.
“As we progress, you will see what we do, and it will be gracious to have you help where we have challenges,” Ike-Muonso said.
The Director-General showcased the Council’s specialised facilities, including its Nanotechnology Centres, Circularity Centre, Toxicology Information Centre, and the RMRDC Training School, explaining that they were established to strengthen indigenous research, technology development and human capacity.
According to him, the Training School also collaborates with universities to develop research and technical expertise, thereby strengthening the linkage between academia, research institutions and industry.
He said the Council remains focused on addressing one of Nigeria’s longstanding economic challenges—the export of raw materials with minimal local processing and the heavy dependence of manufacturers on imported industrial inputs.
To reverse the trend, RMRDC has intensified advocacy for increased domestic value addition to Nigeria’s agricultural and mineral resources as a strategy for accelerating industrialisation, creating jobs and reducing import dependence.
Ike-Muonso noted that the Council has also championed a policy advocating a minimum of 30 per cent value addition to raw materials before export, a move aimed at retaining greater economic value within the country, stimulating manufacturing and promoting technology-driven industrial growth.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for the ministry and the Council to explore ways of linking RMRDC’s growing portfolio of patents, pilot plants and research outputs with manufacturers, investors and entrepreneurs to accelerate commercialisation.
Both parties agreed on the need for stronger collaboration among government research institutions, universities and the organised private sector to bridge the persistent gap between scientific research and commercial production.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Corporate Affairs, RMRDC, Mrs. Chinyere Nnamdi-Anum, the visit underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging indigenous research, innovation and locally available raw materials to accelerate industrialisation, strengthen domestic manufacturing and drive sustainable economic growth.
With Nigeria pursuing economic diversification and increased local manufacturing, stakeholders observed that RMRDC’s expanding research capacity and innovation ecosystem would remain critical to the country’s industrial transformation and value-addition agenda.
By TimesNG