The Raw Materials Research and Development Council has said that it was facilitating the availability of raw materials to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at cheaper rates.

Mr Samuel Olaniyan, the council’s Zonal Director, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the council was considering places where such materials could be sourced.

According to Olaniyan, the aim is to encourage more people  to  get involved in raw material processing. “Government is no longer directly involved in the distribution of raw materials because Nigeria is a dynamic economy.

“The distribution is strictly based on demand. The council doesn’t also distribute raw materials to manufacturers, but we are committed towards increasing private participation in the distribution process to reduce the level of importation,” he said.

Olaniyan said that the council had made remarkable achievements in encouraging SMEs to participate in raw materials processing.

He said that the council had assisted SMEs with information and finance to enable them set up raw materials processing businesses.

Olaniyan said that the efforts of the council had led to the establishment of many SMEs in the agricultural and mineral sectors. He expressed the commitment of the council to ensure that only quality raw materials were distributed to manufacturers.