Few – if any – public servants have had as great an impact on the nation’s economic recovery and industrialization growth effort as Professor Hussaini Doko Ibrahim, the 5th substantive Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).
A man of few words, Professor Ibrahim has his impact on some of the Council’s most impressive successes in form of innovations from programmes of research and development that have contributed to economic growth.
His efforts so far have been inspired by the need to build up the local raw materials sourcing capacities of indigenous industries and manufacturing concerns to enable them to play a central role in the growth dynamics of the nation.
The RMRDC is an agency of the Federal Government with the mandate to spearhead the development and utilization of raw materials as industrial inputs.
With a vision to be an indispensable catalyst for industrial growth and development in Nigeria and a mission to promote the development and optimal utilisation of Nigeria’s raw materials for sustainable industrial growth, the council has lived up to expectations over the years.
Professor Ibrahim came on board in 2014 when there was burning national issue of a soaring import duty bills of Nigeria, necessitating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to exclude forty one (41) items from accessing foreign exchange. This policy decision created challenges to the industrial sector leading to a call to the Council from manufacturers for the Council’s intervention to save the industry from collapse.
This was enough to inspire the 5th RMRDC DG to great achievements towards the development of commodities based projects in Nigeria. His gaze also slid to the area of improving local capacities to exploit, develop and utilize raw materials as industrial inputs and as substitutes to imported raw materials to reduce capital flight and importation to the barest minimum.
Consequently, the Council quickly brought its focus to bear on initiating plans regarding development of the commodities most especially endowed in the country and highlighting the direction of import and export of the commodities globally.
The Council unfolded a number of programmes to enable it achieve its mandate. Using its strategic plans: (2014-2017), and (2018-2021), a lot of development of primary and secondary raw materials were developed for the industries; commercialization of viable R&D outputs, promoting agricultural, chemical and mineral raw materials utilization and resource-based products in which Nigeria has comparative advantage was achieved with the overall goal of meeting industry needs and reducing import of available raw materials and product becoming the overall objective of the Council.
Implementation of the Council’s strategic goals yielded result in the implementation of its seven core programmes areas, namely:
1 The Raw Materials Information Programme: Providing reliable/accurate data and information on Nigeria’s raw materials to stimulate industrial growth and economic development
- Upgrade and Digital Repositioning of Council’s website
- Nigerian Indigenous Process Technology and Information System (NIPTIS)
- Industrial Raw Materials Price Index
- Distribution of Council’s Publication and Book Fair/exhibition
- Development of a GIS-Based Raw Materials Information System
- Annual Raw materials Quiz Competition for Secondary Schools in Nigeria
2 Technology Development Programme: Developing local capacity in process plant/equipment design and fabrication as well as upgrading indigenous technologies to support equipment fabricators and processors.
- Optimization of Kilishi Processing Technology
- Design and Fabrication of Spray Dryer using CAPED Software Suites
- RMRDC Rapier Weaving Machine for the production of Aso-Oke and other Traditional Fabrics
3. Local Raw Materials Content Development Programme: Driving local content development initiatives in raw materials for industries through collaboration with stakeholders.
- Strategic Projects
- Development of Honey and Beehive Products for Food and Pharmaceutical Industries
- Cotton Development and Production of tropical Fruits and Fruit Juice Concentrates for Beverage Industry;
- sweet Sorghum Value Chain Development in Nigeria
- Development of Tomato Value Chain in Nigeria
- Development of National Leather and Leather products
- Development of Thaumatococcus danielli Value Chain in Nigeria
- Development of Pharmaceutical Grade Starch from Non-Food Source (Tacca inovolucrata)
- Sugar Beet Adaptive Trials in Nigeria
- Development of Nigeria’s Shea Industry
- National Quality Award (NQA)
- Manufacturers association of Nigeria Award for Local Content Development
- Development of New Products from Tetrcarpidium conophorurn (Walnut) and Cyperus esculentus (Tiger Nut)
- Boosting Agricultural Raw Materials for Industrial use
- National Strategy for Competitiveness in Raw Materials an Products Development In Nigeria
- science and technology Knowledge-based Advancement Programme
- Development and Production of the Raw Materials Development Master Plan
- Competitiveness Assessment by (FMSTI)
- Development of Kenaf Value Chain, etc.
4 Investment Promotion Programme: Promoting investment through commercialization of successful R&D results as well as offering industrial extension, advisory, consultancy, enterprise development, linkage and brokerage services to the manufacturing industries.
- 5th Nigerian Raw Material Exposition (NIRAM Expo 2020)
- Participation in Trade fairs and Exhibitions
- Raw Materials Resource Center
- -World Association of Industry and Technology Research Organisations (WAITRO)
- Capacity Building for Nigeria Women and Youths on Solar Assembly and Application of ICT in Agriculture
- Investment Promotion on Handmade Paper Bags, etc
5 National Raw Materials Research and Development Programme: Developing Nigeria’s raw materials through market-driven research and development for industrial use.
- Development of Lovastatin from King Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus astreatus) and related species
- Development of Alkyd Resin using Rubber Seed Oil for Paint Manufacturing
- Development of Phytomedicine for the Treatment of Tuberculosis
- Development and Technology Domestication of Mini Refinery Naphtha Hydro-Treating and Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units
- Development of Cashew value Chain in Nigeria
- Collaboration with Ibrahimm Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State State on Characterizaterizatio of some Minerals
- Mapping of Accredited Commodities Testing Laborablends of of Natural Rubber Latex and Polyvinyl Acetatetoeies/Center in Nigeria
- Baseloine Study on Scrap Metal Rcycling in Nigeria
- Patents and Commercialization of Research Results
6 Raw Materials SME Development Programme: Catalysing the emergence of small and medium scale industries and promoting industrial growth through cluster development initiatives.
- Global Techno-Innovation Limited (GTIL)
- Matra Kilishi
- Upgrading of RMRDC Facilities for Revenue Generation
- gemstone and Minerals Buying Center
- Establishment of Sesame Seed Processing Facility (Grain Clearing and oil Extraction)
- Establishment of Onion/Garlic Flakes Production Plant
- Establishment of Split Dried Ginger Processing Plant
- Establishment of Hand Gloves and Rubber Band Production Plant
- Collaboration with the Office of the Vice President on MSME Clinics
- Brake pad and lining from converted Palm Kernel Shells
- Development of Water Borne Paint from Alkyd Resins
- Development of Modular Petroleum Refinery/naphtha hydro treating and -Catalytic Cracking Unit
7 Technical Meetings, Seminars, Workshops and Conferences: Promoting in workshops, symposia and seminars as a platform for knowledge and experience sharing on raw materials research and development findings.
- Blueprint for the Development of Raw Materials for the Electrical and Electronics Sector in Nigeria
- Establishment of RMRDC Training Centre
- Interactive Workshop on Packaging Innovations and Techniques for Small and Medium Scale Processing/Packaging Companies in North Central Zone
- Capacity Building Workshop on Electronic Document and Records Management System (EGRMS)
- Consultative Meeting on the Development of a National Roadmap for the Furniture Industry in Nigeria
- 16th Meeting of the National Council on Science and Technology (NCST)
- 10th Meeting of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI)
- Participating in Technical Meetings, Seminars, Workshops and Conferences (International and Local)
Over the years, the Council has executed several R&D projects based on research and development with the aim of driving raw materials local content development for industries and promoting investment in raw materials based industries. The Council also within the period obtained more than 36 patents for R&D based innovations and products and could thus be said to be setting the pace towards the attainment of the nation’s industrialization drive. Some of these achievements are detailed and visibly impacting on the nation’s industrial landscape.
With a mandate to draw up policy guidelines and implement action programmes on raw materials acquisition, exploitation and development, the council has not relented in its efforts to deliver on its mandates. Rather it has continued to provide a platform in this direction by developing a Strategic Plan (2014-2017) to lay down a foundational structure to guide its operations in implementing its establishing mandates of promoting research and development for sustainable sourcing and exploitation of raw materials as industrial inputs. It also aligned itself with existing policies of government, the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP), vision 2020, Industrial, Mineral and metal, Agricultural, etc) of relevant Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies
For over three decades since its inception the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has been and remains the national institutional framework for promoting local raw materials development and utilization by industries. RMRDC established vide Decree (now Act) 39 of 1987. Its establishment was as a result of the call for inward sourcing of raw materials by industries, and has made tremendous progress in contributing to the development and growth of the Nigerian economy.
It is pertinent to note that relevance and importance of raw materials availability and development to industries cannot be overemphasised. Being a key to national development strategies, raw materials supply is considered key to sustainable production and assurances of increased profit, market share and return on investment.as raw materials hence Professor Ibrahim’s effort to ensure sustainability of raw materials supply to the local industries to guarantee the local manufacture of products and materials on sustainable basis.
Professor Ibrahim’s leadership qualities has therefor far led the Council to giddying heights in cushioning the effect of the economic recession the low ranking of Nigeria in the Global Competitiveness index by adding impetus to Federal Governments efforts to promoting self-reliance through the optimal utilization of local raw materials as input to the country’s industrial sector.