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CHIEF DUBEM ONYIA BLOWS HOT AS HE DRUMS SUPPORT FOR ATIKU DURING THE INAUGURATION OF ATIKU FOR NIGERIA NATIONAL EXECUTIVES HELD ON MONDAY 8TH MARCH 2021 IN ENUGU STATE AMID CHEERS AND FUNFAIR.

Published

6 years ago

March 10, 2021

As the 2023 presidential election draws nearer, the eco of the people’s traditional gog (Ikoro), is still speaking in riddles and metaphor with the pupolar adage that power is taken and not given, hence supporters of Alh. Atiku Abkubakar GCON known as ATIKU FOR NIGERIA (AFN) mobilizes support for the former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Enugu State.

Chief Dubem Onyia who represented the Special guest of honor His Excellency Alh. Atiku Abkubakar GCON, while addressing the mammoth crowd, thundered “I am an Igbo man but it will be most difficult for an Igbo man to be President of Nigeria without the country first being restructured and the only man who can take the bull by the horn and have the country restructured within 100 days of office is Alh. Atiku Abkubakar GCON”.

He poured out so much praises on the organizers of the event and assured them that come 2023 presidential election , that they the youths will lead Atiku Abkubakar’s campaign and that he is confident that Atiku will be victorious after which the youths will constitute 40% of Atiku’s government. He also recognized the significant roles of Nigeria Women and assured them a fair and better deal under Atiku’s Presidency. He concluded by telling his enthusiastic audience that Atiku will do only one term of four years and handover to an Igbo youthful person unfailingly. He thunder to Nigeria youths a parting shot “Nigeria youth it is your time to Endsars and Take Power!”.

The Chairman of the occasion Dr. Nat. Yadume was full of praises to the Chairman Governing Council of Atiku for Nigeria Amb. Aliyu Bin Abbas who also doubles as the DG Atiku Care Foundation (ACF) worldwide and SA on Youths and support groups to His Excellency Alh. Atiku Abkubakar GCON, for his mobilization ability and capacity in galvanizing Nigerians, both young and the aged to cue into Atiku’s quest of rescuing Nigeria from total collapse without any financial aid. He spoke how he discovered Amb. Aliyu Bin Abbas over 7 to 8 years ago as a very young person who today has grown so popular in Nigeria and beyond as result of his passion for the struggle of fixing Nigeria for good.

He congratulated the DG of Atiku For Nigeria (AFN), Chief Hon. Sunday Cyraicuse Umeha, (Ezeabata na Akuegbe Ugwu Awkunanaw, Enugu South LGA, Enugu State) and the rest of the National Executives, and charged them to hit the ground running as the task of rescuing and fixing Nigeria from her present state is an enamous one.

In his conclusion, he encouraged the people gathered to tarry on in believing the Atiku Presidency project as even though, everyone may not possibly benefit at the same time when Atiku would have become President, but that when one, two, three persons gets a good position, that the multipliers effect of group relationships will ensure that the benefits of the few will have a way of trickling down to the point that one way or the other, everyone here will have something at the end of the day.

Hon. Oladimeji Fabiyi in his speech took time to appreciate the Governor of Enugu State Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi for being a good man and the most amenable Governor in the County whose personality epitomizes peace. He said that it is important to appreciate the Governor because if he is not a just and fair politician that we may not be allowed to hold this kind of program in his state knowing the mentality of some of our Governors in Nigeria.

He went further to appreciate the DG AFN Chief Hon. Barr. Umeha for the sacrifice he has made and still making for this Atiku project. He assured him that his efforts will not be in vain. He also acknowledged the day to day commitment and dedication of Amb. Aliyu Bin Abbas who he described as a super workerholic DG of ACF recording unprecedented achievements in mobilizing and galvanizing Nigerians for this all important project without any financial support from Atiku Abkubakar himself. He summed his speech by encouraging the people to keep faith with the struggle as God is here to answer our collective prayers. He danced to different tunes of Igbo local songs for fun to the cheering and admiration of the crowd.

At this juncture, the Chairman Governing Council AFN Amb. Aliyu Bin Abbas took over the podium and after observing protocols, he eulogized Dr. Nat. Yadume for being there for him all these years hence he is where he is at the moment. He didn’t waste time after appreciating the mammoth crowd who are all members of ACF and AFN in their full gorgeous attire, called the following persons for the ritual inauguration exercise. They are: Chief Hon. Barr. Sunday Cyraicuse Umeha, AFN DG designate, Hon. Lawal Abkubakar Zannah, AFN Deputy DG designate, Hon. Meshack Onyeche, AFN Secretary General designate, Amb. G. Y Gotom JP, National Director Research and Planning designate, Hon. Oludare Olatunde, Asst. DG designate, Hon. Ayobami Olusegun Adekunle, Zonal Director designate South West, and they lined up and were immediately inaugurated as substantive Executives of Atiku For Nigeria (AFN).

The responses that came from the audience coming from the likes of Chief Hon. Enem alias Ezeudo Na Afia, Chief Nwafor aka Garuba Mushishi, and One Mr. Shepherdman Chijioke Iyioku were summarized on appeal. And the appeal was directed to His Excellency Alh. Atiku Abubakar GCON via his representatives to apply the doctrine of reciprocity in encouraging all those who have sincerely invested heavily into the project of getting Nigeria working again through Atiku’s Presidency. They complained against the method of monkey is working and baboon eating as what they experienced during the 2019 presidential election where they worked like Donkeys and when financial mobilization came those who have no grassroots base took away the money and failed to deliver their polling units, not to talk about their electoral wards.

Onyiba Iyioku reporting for Ikoro Media.

Stay tuned for video episodes of the above event courtesy IkoroTV.

Below is the extract of the DG’s acceptance speech on behalf of the other members of the Executives:

RE:APPOINTMENT AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ATIKU FOR NIGERIA: ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF CHIEF BARR. SUNDAY UMEHA

It is with humility that I accept the appointment of the distinguished Governing Council of the Atiku For Nigeria as the Director-General of the Organization. This assignment by all means has critical impetus in extending the frontiers of the legacies and ideals of His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON in bringing about the leadership that has for too long eluded us as a nation.

To this end, permit me to place on record my appreciation to members of the Council for the strategic leadership they have shown and continue to show in piloting the activities of the organization; and for finding me worthy in this capacity. I look forward to working with them in achieving the noble and nationalistic mandate of this great organization.

I would also like to use this opportunity to thank my brother, Amb. Aliyu Bin Abbas, the Chairman Governing Council of Atiku For Nigeria for considering me for this position. It is a particular honor to me given his renowned wise exercise of discretion and judgment. In the coming weeks, I look forward to working closely with him in charting a new course for the organization towards the actualization of its objectives.

Let me also mention my unalloyed gratitude to all the States, Zonal and National Leaders of the Atiku Care Foundation, with whom I have been in the trenches in the last few years in the noble and patriotic cause of rescuing our beloved nation from the hands of its current managers who have shown outright cluelessness and incapacitation in the art of statecraft. I have no doubt that our mutual experiences have prepared me for this role, and in modifying our programs and activities, it goes without saying that I would look to profit from their wise counsel, support, and cooperation in the course of discharging this national assignment.

To all my friends, supporters and well-wishers who have stood by me all these years, your moral support and confidence in my leadership abilities have in no small measure been a source of motivation and inspiration. For this, I am eternally grateful.

The Atiku For Nigeria project is one anchored on National rebirth and reconstruction towards a Nigeria that works for all. The reason is by no means farfetched: leadership has been the weakest link in our journey through nationhood. Unfortunately, while this fact has all too been acknowledged and theorized by keen observers of the Nigerian State, we have somehow continued to repeat the mistakes of the past, whilst expecting a different outcome.

Nation-building is a collective effort. Thus, achieving the Nigeria of our dreams must take the concerted efforts of all Nigerians in electing leaders; both at the national and sub-national level, with the requisite moral and intellectual wherewithal of 21st-century governance. It has been the conviction of Atiku For Nigeria Foundation that all of these qualities and more are resident in the person of His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (GCON) whose passion for a united and improved Nigeria is well renowned.

The road to the leadership of any organization; not least the presidency of a nation, requires wide consultations. In a diverse and multi-ethnic country like ours, it is probably more expedient. Chiefly amongst the many reasons, is the proper aggregation of diverse interests towards achieving national consensus around the person of the prospective leader. This is what I believe, is the objective of the Atiku For Nigeria project vis-à-vis the prospects of an Atiku Abubakar presidency in 2023. I must quickly add that it is a patriotic objective that holds vistas in the advancement of Nigeria’s socio-economic fortunes towards Getting Nigeria Working Again.

Consequent upon the above, I am not in any doubt of what is required of my humble self, and the team I would be setting up in the next few days towards the actualization of this national project. In the weeks to come, we shall communicate our roadmap for the actualization of the short, medium and long term goals of the organization under my humble leadership.

As I conclude these acceptance remarks, it will be naïve of me to fail to acknowledge that this assignment would no doubt, present its own peculiar challenges. But you can trust, dear members of Council, that it is one which I look forward to, with renewed vigor and optimism. I am inspired in this regard by the wise words of that great soldier, politician, and statesman, Sir. Winston S. Churchill thus: “To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour”.

God forbid that I should be one of those men spoken of, by the late sage.

I thank you.

God Bless Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON!

God bless Atiku For Nigeria!!

God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

Signed:

Chief (Barr) Sunday Cyriacus Umeha

Director General-Atiku For Nigeria

2/03/2021

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Turning Africa’s Raw Materials Into Wealth: The ARMS 2026 Industrial Agenda

Published

3 days ago

September 29, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

For decades, Africa’s vast natural resources have powered industries and economies far beyond the continent, while many African countries have remained largely exporters of unprocessed commodities and importers of finished products.

That familiar pattern is now coming under renewed scrutiny as policymakers, researchers, investors and industrialists seek to change the direction of Africa’s resource economy.

At the centre of that conversation is the second edition of the Africa Raw Materials Summit (ARMS 2026), scheduled for October 19 and 20 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, under the theme: “From African Feedstock to African Factories.”

Organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), the summit is being positioned as more than another gathering of policymakers and industry stakeholders. It is intended to provide a platform for confronting the structural challenges that have kept African raw materials largely disconnected from local manufacturing.

Africa has for years operated largely within a “pit-to-port” economic model, exporting raw materials while importing expensive finished products.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the summit on Tuesday in Abuja, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, said the event would bring together policymakers, investors, researchers, technology providers and industrialists to develop practical strategies for transforming Africa’s abundant natural resources into industrial wealth.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply the abundance of resources, but the continent’s ability to transform those resources into industrial value, employment, technology and wealth within Africa.

Nigeria alone, according to the RMRDC, has more than $582.4 billion in documented non-renewable natural resources, while the wider continent possesses substantial deposits of critical minerals, agricultural raw materials and industrial feedstock.

Yet, the benefits of this resource endowment have often been constrained by inadequate processing capacity, weak infrastructure, limited technology, financing gaps and fragmented regional value chains.

From Dialogue to Industrial Action

ARMS 2026 builds on the maiden edition held in May 2025, which attracted more than 1,000 delegates from across the world.

The inaugural summit also witnessed the unveiling of the Ten-Year Raw Materials Transformation Roadmap (2025–2034) by the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owen Enoh.

The roadmap was designed around areas including technological capability, climate-resilient processing and backward integration, establishing a policy framework for greater domestic utilisation of Africa’s raw materials.

The second edition is expected to move the conversation further by bringing policy, capital, technology and industrial stakeholders around practical mechanisms for turning raw materials into locally manufactured products.

One of the major proposals highlighted by the RMRDC is the 30 per cent Mandatory Value Addition Bill, which seeks to establish a statutory minimum level of value addition to Nigerian raw materials before export.

The Council says the proposed framework could support job creation, import substitution, foreign-exchange conservation and increased manufacturing contribution to the economy.

Building the Infrastructure for Value Addition

The industrial transformation envisaged by ARMS 2026 goes beyond legislation.

A major concern is the “missing middle” between where raw materials are produced and where factories are located.

Poor transportation networks, inadequate cold-chain facilities, weak rural roads, limited testing and certification infrastructure and border-related delays can make locally sourced materials more expensive and less competitive.

Consequently, logistics and infrastructure constitute one of the five principal pillars of the summit.

The objective is to develop more reliable corridors connecting farms and mines with processing centres and manufacturing facilities, thereby reducing losses and improving the movement of industrial inputs.

The Digital Dimension

Technology is also becoming an important part of the Council’s strategy.

The RMRDC says it has developed the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP), described as a digital repository containing information on feedstock deposits, specifications, production outputs and industrial absorption rates.

The Council has also highlighted its transition towards paperless operations and its certification as a Data Controller/Processor of Major Importance by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Such digital infrastructure could provide investors and manufacturers with better information about the availability and characteristics of raw materials while supporting more informed industrial planning.

Turning Waste Into Industrial Inputs

Another major component of ARMS 2026 is the proposed expansion of the circular economy.

The summit will examine how agricultural by-products, mine tailings, scrap metals and biomass can be recovered and reused as inputs for new production processes rather than being treated simply as waste.

The RMRDC argues that such an approach could lower raw-material costs while supporting more sustainable and climate-resilient manufacturing systems.

For Africa, where industrial expansion must increasingly balance economic development with environmental considerations, waste industrialisation could become an important part of the continent’s manufacturing conversation.

From National Production to African Value Chains

The African Continental Free Trade Area is another important element of the summit’s agenda.

The RMRDC sees AfCFTA as an opportunity to create regional value chains in which raw materials sourced in one African country can be processed and supplied to manufacturers in another.

Under such a model, Africa would move beyond simply exporting commodities to external markets and develop stronger internal networks for supplying chemicals, refined minerals, agricultural inputs and other industrial materials across national borders.

This approach places regional integration at the heart of Africa’s industrialisation strategy.

Bridging Research and Capital

A recurring weakness in many developing economies is the gap between research and commercialisation.

Innovations may emerge from universities, research institutions and laboratories without receiving the financing, equipment or market connections required to become commercially viable.

ARMS 2026 intends to address that gap through technology commercialisation and capital linkages, connecting research outputs with investors, development finance institutions and industrial off-takers.

The RMRDC has also cited partnerships with the Bank of Industry for commercial-scale post-harvest processing and a South-South technology-transfer partnership with the National Innovation Centre par Excellence in Shanghai, China.

A Larger Industrial Conversation

The scale of ARMS 2026 is expected to be significantly larger than the maiden edition.

The organisers project more than 1,800 delegates from all 54 African countries and global industrial partners.

The programme will feature high-level policy dialogues, technical panels, an advanced raw materials and technology exhibition, industrial site visits and the African Raw Materials Industry Awards.

The exhibition, in particular, is expected to showcase locally fabricated processing machinery, advanced domestic materials, green chemicals and engineered commercial inputs.

Beyond the speeches and exhibitions, however, the real significance of ARMS 2026 will ultimately depend on what happens after the summit.

Africa’s challenge has never been a shortage of raw materials. The more difficult question has been how to transform those resources into factories, products, skilled employment, technology and sustainable economic opportunities.

For Nigeria and the rest of the continent, the proposed shift from “pit-to-port” to “feedstock-to-factory” therefore represents a broader debate about the future structure of African economies.

ARMS 2026 seeks to place that debate firmly on the industrial agenda — with value addition, technology, finance, infrastructure, circular production and regional trade at the centre.

If the commitments and partnerships generated by the summit translate into measurable industrial activity, the event could provide another platform for Africa to examine how its enormous resource base can support stronger domestic manufacturing.

The message from the organisers is clear: the continent’s raw materials should not only leave African soil as commodities; they should increasingly become the foundation for African industrial production

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