Featured

2024 WYSD : We’ll Uplift The Youths Through Initiatives – Minister of Youth

Published

2 years ago

July 16, 2024

Joel Ajayi

Federal Government yesterday re-assured that, it will do all within her strength to lift many Nigerian Youth out of unemployment cycles through its numerous initiative put in place to bring prosperity to the youths.

The Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim gave the assurance in Abuja at the occasion of 2024 World Youth Skills Day celebrations, she said that, Nigerian youths are potentially the greatest investment for a country’s socio-economic, political and technological development.

She expressed that the Federal government knows the importance of youths in the present government. This has inspired the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to graciously approved a total of N110 billion to be released for the operation of the newly restructured Youth Development Fund and the investment in agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises instead of 75billion earlier approved.

2024 WYSD with the theme Youth Skills For Peace and Development , “Upskilling Youthful Peace” , “Skill Up Youth For Development.”

It will be recalled that United Nations General Assembly daclared that all member states to celebrate the Word Youth Skills Day on the 15th July of every year, it was on this that, put in place program in collaboration with other critical stakeholders in youth employment and empowerment to commemorate to celebrate the day.

According to her, the aim of the commemoration is to appreciate and celebrate the contributions of skills acquisition and development to nation building with the primary objective of reducing restiveness and poverty, encourage and support job creation, and most Importantly reduce the high rate of unemployment among the youth in developing economies.

“Federal Ministry of Youth Development recognizes the high level of the commitment of various stakeholders in this event. The designated day seeks to generate greater awareness of discussions on how important skills acquisition are in promoting national economic growth and personal success. It is believed that skill acquisition will contribute to reducing unemployment among the youth across the globe. The day highlights youth skills development and draws attention to the critical needs and the importance of technical, vocational, entrepreneurial and modern agricultural education and training to both national and global economics.

“Millions of youth worldwide are loved and therefore unengaged with any meaningful and sustainable livelihood and the worrisome part of the scenario is that majority bracket live in developing countries where young people are ed and continuously exposed to lower quality level jobs, or market inequality, longer and more insecure school to work s. In fact young people in their twenties (20) are not just bored, they are frustrated at how they are locked out of local decision making processes as well as economic and life opportunities. These disengaged, disenfranchised and frustrated set of youth are a growing concern of the present admistren.

“World Skills Day is set to bring in the required ergy among the critical actors in youth development. Therefore at end of the dy believe that the programme would have successfully achieved increadeshusiasm for skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development in Nige challenge all the stakeholders for enhanced commitment to skill development and create a laudable platform to launch a new project on skills acquisition and developmeht that aligns with the RENEWED HOPE AGENDA.

“It is worthy to note that the youth is one of the greatest assets that any nation can have and are legitimately regarded as the future leaders and partners of today. They are potentially the greatest investment for a country’s socio-economic, political and technological development.”

“On our part, the Ministry shall continue to initiate and implement youth employment programmes and activities that will take our youth off the streets. In response to the high rate of unemployment among the youth and in line with its core mandates, the Ministry recently organized a scale up capacity building programme in Fashion design and Tailoring business with the establishment and equipping, by the Ministry, of a tailoring Hub in National Youth Development Centre, Odeomu, Osun State with modern fashion and tailoring machineries where interested youth entrepreneurs can access the centre to acquire and develop their skills in fashion design and allied businesses amongst others.”

She called on all well-spirited Individuals, groups and existing partners present here that there is urgent need for multidisciplinary collaboration and team work in Identifying and catering for the need of the skilled youth.

In his welcome addressed, permanent Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Dunuoma Umar Ahmed appealed to all youth in the country not to engage in any social devices, drugs or any action that will jeopardize their future.

Also speaking, the Director Enterprises Development and promotion of Ministry Mr Momoh Olugbenga stated that 2024 WYSD remains a clear demonstration of determination and commitment of all to promote skills acquisition, peace and socio-economic development of the country.

No doubt, Millions of youth worldwide are unemployed, uneducated and unengaged with the majority living in developing countries. Young people are underemployed and continuously exposed to lower quality level jobs, greater labor market inequality, longer and more insecure school to work transitions. In fact, young people in their twenties (20) are not just bored, they are frustrated at how they are locked out of local decision making processes as well as economic and life opportunities. These disengaged, disenfranchised and frustrated set of youth are a growing concern of the government.

He said that; the 2024 World Skills Day with the theme ‘Youth Skills For Peace and Development’ is all set to bring in the required synergy among all critical actors in jobs and employment creation for socio-economic development and peace of the country.

Share on Facebook

Featured

Strategic Partnerships, Diaspora Investment and Improved Workforce Critical to Industrialization-DG RMRDC

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

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.

Share on Facebook