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RMRDC Backs Tinubu’s Re-Election, Hails Administration’s Performance

Published

1 week ago

October 8, 2026

Joel Ajayi

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, has expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, while highlighting the administration’s efforts to drive industrialisation, local production and economic growth.

Ike-Muonso spoke on Thursday in Abuja when the leadership of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), led by its Director-General, Dr Umar Yakassai, visited RMRDC to obtain firsthand information on the Council’s achievements and challenges under the Tinubu administration.

The RMRDC boss said the Council had aligned its programmes with the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the President’s ambition to transform Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy through industrialisation, investment, job creation and increased local production.

He identified value addition to Nigeria’s abundant raw materials as a major pathway to achieving the economic target, stressing that the country must move away from exporting raw materials and importing finished products at higher costs.

According to him, RMRDC is pursuing a legal framework that would require raw materials produced in Nigeria to undergo at least 30 per cent value addition before export.

He said the proposed policy would encourage investors to establish processing and manufacturing facilities locally, thereby creating jobs, attracting foreign investment and strengthening domestic industries.

“The first thing it does is that it activates the basis of industrialisation,” Ike-Muonso said.

He disclosed that the proposed legislation had reached the President, who directed the Ministry of Justice to review and improve the draft before further consideration by the National Assembly.

The DG also highlighted RMRDC’s initiatives in grassroots value addition, including training programmes for women and groups in mushroom production and other agricultural value chains.

He further disclosed that the Council had developed the Nigerian Information System for Statistical Information on Raw Materials and Products to provide investors, manufacturers and policymakers with data on raw materials, producers, suppliers and value chains.

Ike-Muonso also announced that RMRDC had obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification following an international assessment of its systems.

Speaking earlier, the TSG Director-General, Dr Umar Yakassai, said the delegation visited the Council to obtain factual information on the achievements and challenges of government agencies implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Yakassai said the group played a significant role in mobilising support for President Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election and had coordinated more than 5,000 support groups during the election.

He said thousands of additional groups had been registered since then, adding that TSG’s engagement with government agencies was aimed at enabling its members to properly communicate the achievements and challenges of the administration to Nigerians.

Yakassai commended Ike-Muonso and his management team for the transformation at RMRDC, particularly their efforts in promoting local raw materials development, value addition, research and industrialisation.

He stressed that support groups needed accurate information on both the successes and challenges of government institutions to effectively inform Nigerians about the impact of government policies.

The TSG boss maintained that governance was a continuous process and that successive administrations must build on existing achievements while addressing emerging challenges.

The engagement further highlighted RMRDC’s strategic role in President Tinubu’s industrialisation agenda, with value addition positioned as a major pathway to creating jobs, attracting investment, strengthening local industries and unlocking Nigeria’s vast economic potential.

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Cyclists, Athletes, Fitness Communities others Set for 5th Chaingang MTB Festival in Abuja

Published

17 hours ago

October 16, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

Cyclists, professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts are set to converge on Abuja for the 5th edition of the Abuja Chaingang Mountain Bike (MTB) Festival and 10th year anniversary of the the club scheduled for November 21–22, 2026, in the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Chairman of the MTB Festival Organising Committee, Mr Olatunji Olanrewaju, said the event would mark a significant milestone in the development of competitive cycling in Nigeria.

Organised by the Chaingang Cycling Club Abuja in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), the festival will introduce Cross-Country Short Track (XCC) and Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) race courses, alongside the unveiling of the Sunrise Hills MTB Course in Asokoro, bordering Guzape.

The organisers said the new courses feature natural terrain, steep climbs, rocky descents, switchbacks and panoramic ridgelines designed to challenge riders and promote competitive mountain biking.

The festival, adopted as Nigeria’s national qualifier for international mountain biking competitions, will provide cyclists with opportunities to compete for qualification slots for major championships, with prize money available across race categories.

Olanrewaju disclosed that the festival had attracted several cycling teams over the years, including foreign participants in almost every edition, expressing optimism that the 2026 event would attract even greater participation.

He called on sponsors, government agencies, security institutions and multinational organisations to support the festival, noting that their participation would help strengthen Nigeria’s outdoor sports industry and enhance the country’s international sporting profile.

Also speaking, the Technical Director of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria, Bashiru Mohammed, described the festival as an important platform for developing cycling and strengthening the country’s cycling community.

Mohammed said the competition was open to cyclists and cycling groups across Nigeria and beyond, adding that the organisers would share information about the event with international partners to encourage wider participation.

He explained that the professional races would feature male and female competitors in the XCC and XCO categories, while the programme would also include activities for children.

According to him, the competition would help Nigerian cyclists prepare for next year’s championship for emerging countries, which he likened to an Olympic-style gathering of athletes from different sporting disciplines.

In his remarked, the CFN Secretary-General of the federation, Joel Akinuwa, said prize money remained an important feature of the festival, noting that participants in the previous edition received financial rewards in addition to opportunities to qualify for the African Championships and other major international competitions.

Akinuwa added that winners across the various categories in the 2026 edition would also receive prize money, providing further motivation for cyclists to compete.

Beyond the elite races, the two-day festival will feature a trail run, children’s mountain bike race, veterans’ recreational ride, city-wide fitness ride and hiking campout.

The event will also incorporate corporate social responsibility initiatives, including the Jigakushi School Restoration Project and the Road Safety Street Mural Initiative, aimed at promoting community development and road safety awareness.

The organisers said the festival would bring together professional athletes, recreational cyclists, families, young people, fitness enthusiasts, media organisations and international observers, while promoting tourism, youth development and community engagement.

They added that the long-term vision was to position Abuja and Nigeria as leading mountain biking destinations in Africa, capable of hosting international competitions and attracting athletes from across the continent and beyond.

Registration for the 2026 Abuja Chaingang MTB Festival is ongoing through the club’s website, www.chaingang.ng.

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