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2023 World Population Day: FG will Continue to Encourage Nigerian Women, PLWD to Excel-Kwara
Joel Ajayi
National Population Commission NPC, has said that the government will continue to empower Nigerian women to excel in their various callings.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, on the occasion of the 2023 World Population Day WPD celebration, the Chairman of the NPC Nasir Isa Kwarra, he sought for the commitment of Nigeria and other Nations to the plight of vulnerable population groups, particularly women and girls to express their rights as well access to make choices in a world of 8 billion people.
This year’s WPD celebration with the theme “Unleashing the Power of Gender Equality: Uplifting the Voices of Women and Girls to Unlock Our World’s Infinite Possibilities.”
According to him, the theme draws from the world’s attainment of the 8 billion population mark, addresses SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls and connects with issues highlighted in this year’s State of the World Population Report (SWOP), we launched a few weeks back. It also, urges Member States including Nigeria to ensure vulnerable population groups, particularly women and girls have chances to express their rights and have indiscriminatory access to make choices in a world of 8 billion people.
“Our population is currently estimated at slightly over 216 million, placing Nigeria as the sixth most populated nation in the world. Nigeria was listed among the nine countries in the world whose rapid population growth contributed to the 8 billion reaches on November 15th 2022. Also, predictions show that expected half of the global population growth between now and 2050 will be from the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region and Nigeria will be a major contributor to that regional growth driven by past/existing momentum growth.
“Women and Girls represent almost (49.7%), half of our entire population. However, this unique population group, more often are neglected across all societies and communities and are not accorded the deserved attention and experience limited access to opportunities.
“The context of this year’s commemoration is a reminder that arouses attention and which requires actions that will facilitate sustainable creating of opportunities that will empower women and girls for a secure future for all.
“Addressing the perspectives of women and girls’ Rights and Choices to pave way for achieving SDG 5 “Achieving Gender Equity” – entails:
“Securing unlimited Access to quality formal education and to be well-educated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), including acquiring livelihood skills and entrepreneurships; Securing planned and organized Access to decent work and employment outside the home and enjoying equal wages at par with their male counterpart to achieve economic empowerment; Involvement in decision-making roles in many aspects of life, including leadership positions
“Undisruptive access to quality and affordable health care services including maternity services plus sexual and reproductive health care services;
“Therefore, to “Unleash the Power of Equality” is embedded in investing in and creating equitable access to quality education as necessary and sufficient conditions to allow women and girls opportunities to exercise their rights and choices. Thus, empowering women and girls is fundamental for achieving enduring peace, progress and prosperity in Nigeria and the world at large.
“Achieving Gender Equality, remains a task that must be done. It therefore behoves all of us (government, parliamentarians at all levels, stakeholders, the civil society organizations; traditional and religious leaders, the media, donors, partners) to secure and guarantee the empowerment of women and girls by lifting their voices across the nation so that they can be heard, acknowledged and responded to.
“Above all, the responsibility lies first with the Government to prioritize decisions and actions that provide women and girls all the opportunities through education, health-care services, jobs, resources and services to guarantee their exercising these Rights and Choices. This is inclusive of those living with disability, irrespective of where they reside.”
He commended UNFPA Resident Representative, Ulla Mueller for the support she engendered for Nigeria in the implementation of all aspects of Population and Development activities. “Saying her commitment and support to ensure Nigeria conducts an excellent population and housing census is unparalleled.”
NPC boss however, implored every one of us to support the implementation of activities to mark the event through various media platforms/channels and in various languages to sensitize the populace and targeted population on the theme – emphasizing what benefits us together, when we unleash the will power to achieve gender equality in Nigeria.
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Strategic Partnerships, Diaspora Investment and Improved Workforce Critical to Industrialization-DG RMRDC
By: Stella Azi and Adaora Adibe
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has called for a strategic shift from the exportation of raw commodities to domestic processing, manufacturing and value addition, declaring that Nigeria possesses enormous untapped raw material resources capable of driving industrialisation, creating jobs and strengthening the country’s economic competitiveness.
Prof. Ike-Muonso made this submission in a lecture titled Unlocking Nigeria’s Raw Material Value Chain for Industrialization, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, where he presented an extensive assessment of Nigeria’s resource endowments, industrial challenges and emerging investment opportunities across agricultural commodities, solid minerals and waste-based raw materials.
The lecture highlighted a combined US$2.65 trillion global market opportunity across 30 major raw material value chains, comprising 12 agricultural value chains valued at US$932 billion, 11 mineral value chains worth US$1.352 trillion and seven circular-economy value chains estimated at US$366 billion.
According to the RMRDC Boss, Nigeria must move beyond the traditional approach of extracting and exporting raw materials to building competitive domestic industries that transform these resources into intermediate products, industrial inputs and finished goods for local consumption and international markets.
He observed that the country’s manufacturing sector has struggled to sustain its 2014 peak, with its contribution to real Gross Domestic Product declining from 9.64 per cent in 2014 to 8.05 per cent in 2025, representing a 16.5 per cent decline. He also drew attention to the increasing cost of raw material imports, which rose to US$20.5 billion in 2025, approximately six times the 2020 level.
He explained that the growing dependence on imported industrial inputs exposes Nigerian manufacturers to foreign exchange volatility, increases production costs and weakens the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.
Prof. ke-Muonso stressed that the solution lies in developing domestic raw material value chains through deliberate investment in processing facilities, research and development, technology, infrastructure and stronger linkages between producers, processors and manufacturers.
He identified agriculture, solid minerals and industrial waste as three major resource platforms for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, stating the country’s significant production capacity and the enormous opportunities available for downstream processing.
Ike-Muonso noted that Nigeria produces over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, making it the world’s largest producer, while also maintaining strong positions in cocoa, cashew, sesame, palm oil and cotton. However, more than 80 per cent of agricultural output leaves farms without adequate processing, resulting in the loss of significant economic value and industrial opportunities.
In the solid minerals sector, he identified more than 44 commercially viable minerals across over 500 locations, including lithium, gold, barite, bitumen, iron ore and high-grade limestone, describing them as strategic resources capable of supporting steel production, energy storage, electrification and advanced manufacturing.
The DG further drew attention to Nigeria’s industrial and agro-waste resources, noting that the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually. He explained that agricultural residues, cassava peels, scrap metals, plastics and electronic waste could serve as important feedstock for bio-fertilisers, industrial chemicals, recycled polymers, energy production and other manufacturing applications.
In the agricultural sector, the DG identified cassava and industrial starch, cotton and natural textiles, natural rubber and elastomers, oil palm and oleochemicals, maize derivatives and cocoa processing as priority areas requiring increased investment.
He explained that processing agricultural commodities into industrial starch, sweeteners, textiles, technical rubber, specialty fats and other intermediate products would enable Nigeria to capture more value from its agricultural resources while reducing dependence on imported industrial inputs.
For the minerals sector, he highlighted crude oil-to-olefins and petrochemicals, lithium and energy storage, iron ore and steel, rare earth elements, bauxite and aluminium, and copper and electrification as strategic investment opportunities.
He particularly emphasised the importance of moving beyond mineral extraction into beneficiation, refining, battery precursors, industrial chemicals, metal fabrication and advanced materials production.
On the circular economy, Prof. Ike-Muonso identified electronic waste recovery, scrap metal recycling, plastic waste processing, agro-waste valorisation and battery recycling as emerging industrial opportunities.
He explained that transforming waste into productive industrial feedstock would not only reduce environmental pollution but also create new manufacturing industries, generate employment and reduce the importation of valuable industrial materials.
He noted that to address the structural challenges confronting raw material-based industrialisation, the DG highlighted the strategic interventions of the RMRDC, particularly the proposed 30% Value Addition Bill and the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP).
He described the 30% Value Addition Bill as an important policy instrument designed to encourage domestic processing of raw materials before export, strengthen local manufacturing capacity and guarantee access to essential raw materials for Nigerian industries, and NISSRAMP as a critical data infrastructure that would improve access to verified information on the availability, location and quality of raw materials.
According to him, the combination of appropriate policy instruments and reliable resource data would help de-risk investments, improve transparency and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s raw material sector.
He emphasised the importance of collaboration among government, academia and industry in developing bankable projects, sharing investment risks and accelerating the establishment of processing and manufacturing facilities.
Professor Ike-Muonso called on Nigerians in the diaspora and other local and international investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria’s raw material sector.
He identified industrial processing parks, mineral beneficiation and refining, agro-industrial platforms, circular-material processing, industrial input manufacturing and enabling infrastructure as viable investment platforms.
He noted that diaspora investors could contribute beyond financial capital by bringing technology, international business networks, governance standards, technical expertise and access to global markets.
He maintained that Nigeria’s industrial transformation requires coordinated investment across the entire value chain, from raw material sourcing and aggregation to processing, manufacturing, certification and export development.
Professor Ike-Muonso stressed that the country’s industrial future would depend not merely on the volume of raw materials extracted but on the capacity to transform them into competitive products that meet domestic and international market requirements.
He maintained that developing local value chains would stimulate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, diversify exports, conserve foreign exchange and deepen Nigeria’s technological capabilities.
Through its strategic interventions, the RMRDC is positioning itself as a critical bridge between resource availability, investment opportunities and industrial competitiveness, with the ultimate objective of transforming Nigeria from a predominantly raw material exporting economy into a strong manufacturing and value-adding nation.
Ike-Muonso has demonstrated this since assumption of office as the Director General/ CEO RMRDC in the area of capacity building, improved working conditions, promotion of merit, and maintaining a conducive environment that rewards excellence, innovation and dedication. This is evident in his institution of RMRDC training school, reward for winners of the RMRDC innovation challenge among others.
His commitment has brought recognition both nationally and internationally: Al-Jazirah double honour awards as Public Servant /Government Agency of the year 2024-2025 and the recent election as the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Representative on the Board of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) is a attestation to his commitment.
Concluding the lecture, the DG charged staff, researchers, manufacturers and investors to see themselves as nation builders in the new era of raw materials-led industrialization.
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