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Agric institutions’ curricula lack organic component, sufficient skilled manpower – experts

Published

8 years ago

April 25, 2019

Some Organic Agriculture experts say the current agriculture curricula being used in Nigeria’s institutions lack the component of organic agriculture practice and sufficient skilled manpower.

The experts said this at the ongoing workshop on “Understanding Organic Agriculture for Curriculum Development’’ organised by Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

Dr Olugbenga AdeOluwa, the Country Coordinator of EOA Initiative said that organic agriculture “is one of the easily misconstrued aspects of agriculture.’’

“Sustainability of environmental resources and safety are important components of organic agriculture which are lacking in conventional agriculture practice currently taught in our institutions.

“There is a difference between organic agriculture and organic chemistry, therefore proper understanding of organic agriculture is needed for effective curriculum development.’’

AdeOluwa, who is also a lecturer at the University of Ibadan said the curricula must address the issue of the four principles of organic agriculture.

“These include the `Principle of Health’ to sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal and human as one and indivisible.

“Principle of Ecology’ that is be based on and working with living ecological systems and cycles emulate them and help sustain them.

“The Principle of Fairness’ built upon relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.

“The Principle of Care which should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and wellbeing of current and future generations and the environment,’’ AdeOluwa said.

Dr Rasak Olajide, a lecturer with University of Ibadan thanked the EOA for seeing the need to introduce and mainstream organic agriculture content into manpower training at institutions not only in Nigeria, but across the African continent.

Olajide agreed that inadequate knowledge and trained manpower in organic agriculture had prevented its content inclusion in the curricula, especially in Nigeria.

“The direct and immediate consequence of this is dearth of manpower in organic agriculture in our training institutions such as polytechnics and universities.

“Few that are handy are products of short courses in aspects of organic agriculture or those that did related research in using knowledge generated from research to teach organic agriculture lessons.

“The onus lies on our educational institutions to provide a critical mass of professionals to serve these enterprises.’’

Mr Oyewole Gbadamosi, the Project Manager of EOA Initiative said the overall goal of the initiative was to mainstream Ecological Organic Agriculture into national agricultural production systems, policies and practices by 2025.

Gbadamosi said that this was done to improve agricultural productivity, food security, access to markets and sustainable development.

“Our vision is to have a vibrant Ecological Organic System for Enhanced Food Security and Sustainable Development in Africa.

“We also want to promote ecologically sound strategies and practices among diverse stakeholders in production, processing, and marketing through strategic actions and policy making to alleviate poverty, guarantee adequate and healthy food security, improve livelihoods and safeguard the environment.

“EOA is collaborating with the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN).

“And Organic Agriculture Projects in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria (OAPTIN), Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigeria (ADAN) to execute the mainstreaming of organic agriculture into the tertiary institution’s curriculum,” he said.

He said that EOA was also partnering with stakeholders to address the issue of lack of skilled manpower.

“We have established Farmers Resource Centres, produced over 23 information and communication materials.

“And the initiative has also successfully supported four masters and two PhD degree programmes,’’ Gbadamosi added.

Mr Ernest Aubee, the Head of Agriculture Division, ECOWAS commission called on all stakeholders to respond to the increasing demand for skilled personnel that could appropriately handle organic agriculture maters.

“Your aim at this workshop must be to see how best to mainstream organic agriculture into the school curriculum to encourage and promote its sustainability in the country.

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

Published

1 day 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.

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