By Dele Ogbodo
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology is ramping up strategic plan for the reductions of imported raw materials and products to drive its manufacturing sector in 10 years time frame.
The Minister supervising the Ministry, Chief Uche Nnaji, on Tuesday July 23, 2024, said: “Federal government is targeting at least 11% in the next 5 years, 31% in the medium: 5 to 10 years and 49% in the long term of 10 years and above.
According to him, the strategy aims to champion our country’s global competitiveness diversification through investments in innovation and technology, Research and Development (R/D), infrastructure, data development and management, industrialization, competitiveness advocacy, legal and policy frameworks, institutional/organizational development, and human capital development.
Nnaji, made the disclosure at the opening of the National Consultative Committee on Competitiveness (NCCC) conference for the implementation of the national strategy in raw materials and products development at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) Headquarters, Maitama, Abuja.
The conference, he said is aimed strengthening Nigeria’s economic growth prospects and global competitiveness in raw materials and product development, adding that the pursuit aligns with the thrusts of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
While reiterating that Nigeria has abundant raw materials, from solids, metals and energy minerals to agro-raw materials, however, the mere possession of these resources does not guarantee economic prosperity, the Minister added.
Nnaji, said: “Developing raw materials into high-quality products is a necessity and a strategic imperative for national growth and global competitiveness.
“The national strategy for competitiveness in raw materials and products development in Nigeria, with its implementation plan, was developed by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) under the supervision of my Ministry after approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in March March, 2017.
“The target benefits also include creating 4.4 million jobs; boosting local content in manufacturing to 50% and 80% in the short and long terms, respectively; increasing global acceptance of Made-in-Nigeria raw materials, products, and services; boosting foreign exchange earnings and reserve; steady development of demand-driven scientific industrial culture; industry-research strategic alliances with the resultant production of high-quality and competitive raw materials and products, graduation of market- ready students from knowledge centres, and overall diversification of the economy.
“Global competitiveness is the lifeblood of any thriving economy as it underscores the ability to produce goods and services that meet the standards of the international markets while simultaneously strengthening the citizen’s long-term real income.
“We are aware of several challenges facing us as a country. However, I wish to reiterate that our path to global competitiveness lies in leveraging the enormous powers of innovation, science and technology in value-addition and indigenous industrialization.”
On change of name of the Ministry, he said: “The President deliberately renamed my Ministry the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
“This action was contingent on the President’s understanding that innovation, science and technology are the cornerstones of global competitiveness.
His interest is to ensure continuous investment in cutting-edge technologies that can improve the quality of local raw materials, products and the lives of Nigerians, explaining that government’s efforts is to establish Tinubu Technology City align with this understanding.
He added: “Also, all the priority areas of this administration are in tandem with the fundamental objectives of the global competitiveness strategy.
“Indeed, we are aligning the implementation of the National Strategy with the administration’s priority areas through data mapping and other projects associated with the Strategy focus areas.
“Under my supervision, RMRDC maps the spatial distribution, quality and quantity, exploitation extent, exploration risks, and prospects of strategic and critical raw materials in solid minerals and metals, agriculture, and energy.
“We shall deploy the data generated from this exercise in value chain development, market analysis, access to the market and review of government programmes and policies related to raw materials exploitation and utilization.”
To facilitate the proliferation and growth of MSMES, he said, the Council is revamping the establishment of resource-based industrial clusters in Nigeria.
This initiative Nnaji, added is aims to promote the optimal utilization of Nigeria’s abundant raw materials. It will also ensure that MSMEs can access local raw materials easily, reducing import dependency and lowering production costs.
The Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) established by the Council at the Obasanjo Space Centre, Airport Road, Abuja, positively impacts the country’s economic diversification initiative and manufacturing contribution to GDP.
The Centre provides a platform for technology adoption, adaptation, and transfer to agricultural and mineral raw materials process technology. This Centre is a testament to my Ministry’s unwavering commitment to ensuring competitiveness in raw materials and products development. The Centre offers a window for industrial/academic research on developing and utilizing raw materials in Nigeria. It also serves as a one-stop process technology outlay that showcases equipment, processes, instrumentation, etc., for potential investors or entrepreneurs in agriculture and mineral processing.
In a remark, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, Director-General, RMRDC), said the conference is in response to the patriotic zeal and the consequent pressure from the indefatigable Minister charging us to immediately initiate and commence the implementation of the national strategy following the launch of the consultative committee in 2017.
He reiterated that the home-grown strategy is anchored on applying innovation, science, and technology to raw materials and product development is a unique change agent in our national development initiatives.
The DG, said: “Its successful implementation will questionably reduce the level of raw materials and products imports into the country.
“Some other benefits include facilitating strategic alliances between research-focused organizations and industry, enhancing the intensity of industry-demand-driven research and development activities, developing national quality infrastructure, promoting adherence to standards and quality assurance, and producing high-quality raw materials and products to increase Nigeria’s competitiveness on the global stage.
“Therefore, this technical workshop/conference allows us to deliberate on critical issues ranging from competitiveness advocacy to the commercialization of R&D breakthroughs.”