By Henry Umoru

ABUJA – President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has assured Nigerians that the passage of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Amendment Bill by the National Assembly, followed by its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu, would serve as a moral compass for Africa in raw materials export.

Speaking in Abuja while receiving members of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), led by Director-General, Professor Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, Akpabio highlighted the importance of adding value to raw materials before export, noting that it would not only create jobs but also drive technological innovation.

He stated: “If any of the values were to be added in Nigeria before exporting, we would have had at least a factory for those chains that would also create jobs for our people, beyond what the farmers are doing. Technological shifts would have also come in terms of innovations.”

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio lamented that despite being a major cocoa producer, Nigeria imports cocoa products at a higher cost, with no local input or processing. He emphasized the need for local production, research, and value addition to boost the economy.

He commended the Nigerian Senate, through the sponsor of the bill, Senator Onyekachi Nweboyin, for the initiative. He expressed concern over the solid minerals sector, describing it as “pathetic” due to the lack of value addition before export.

“We sell it at a very cheap rate, and when you sum it up, you will see that development in Africa by 2025 is still in a primitive state when it comes to recognizing and utilizing the potentials within its domain. Poverty is biting harder because of ignorance,” Akpabio said.

He urged the RMRDC to prioritize training, re-training, and sensitization of Nigerians, suggesting that students in secondary schools be taught to recognize raw materials and solid minerals wherever they are found.

“We must not allow this to continue. If we now assist you by passing the bill and the President signs it into law, Nigeria would have taken the step to ensure that whatever raw material is to be taken out of this country must be given added value of at least 30 percent,” he declared.

Earlier, Professor Ike-Muonso, leader of the delegation, thanked the Senate President for the audience and acknowledged the progress made by the current Senate leadership.

He stated: “We have seen the reforms like the Tax Administration Bills, but the one that concerns us most is the bill to amend the Act of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, which is primarily to ensure that we do not export raw materials out of the country without at least 30 percent of value added. It is indeed Nigeria’s and Africa’s number one bill that will change the fortune of this country because Nigeria is a leader in the continent.”

Professor Ike-Muonso also solicited the Senate President’s support for the bill and invited him to attend the upcoming Africa Raw Materials Summit scheduled for later this month.