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DHQ Holds Pull-Out Parade In Honour Of Immediate Past Cds General Olonisakin

Published

6 years ago

February 16, 2021

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has successfully held a pulling-out parade in honour of the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin (retired). The ceremonial Pulling-Out Parade which took place today 16 February 2021 at the Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, was the climax of events to mark the final exit and disengagement of the former CDS from the Nigerian Army after 40 years of meritorious service to the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).

In his valedictory speech at the event, the erstwhile CDS described his long and successful career in the AFN as uncommon grace and favour of Almighty God, as well as the magnanimity of President Muhammadu Buhari, who found him worthy to be appointed as the 16th Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Gen Olonisakin (rtd) further maintained the AFN under his command and with the support of the political leadership was able to reclaim territories that were hitherto under the control of Boko Haram Terrorists.

According to him, the AFN under the current political dispensation has been transformed by building capacity and gaining valuable experience in fighting asymmetric threats which transited from fighting conventional war on land, sea and air to capacity to containing cyber-security threats.

The former Defence Chief, further disclosed that the military/defence diplomacy which was the overall strategy of the Nigerian Government by applying a whole-of-government approach to addressing the insurgency/terrorism gave birth to the operationalization of various military alliances between Nigeria and her neighboring countries, especially in the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

This efforts, he said led to improved regional cooperation and the strengthening of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

He further pointed out that the establishment of close interaction and liaison with other strategic partners such as the P-3 Partners comprising the United Stated of America, United Kingdom and France and some Middle East countries as well as South Africa was in the overall interest of the AFN and in furtherance of Nigerian national security efforts.

The former CDS thanked his former counter-parts within the African continent for supporting the AFN in its counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism campaigns.

According to the former CDS, “we have therefore built a solid foundation on which the current and indeed future generations of Nigerian military commanders can build on in the performance of their constitutional roles of defending our dear nation from both external and domestic threats to our corporate existence.”

Gen Olonisakin (rtd) posited that the establishment of DHQ Special Forces Brigade and its deployment to the Gambia in 2017 for Operation Restore Democracy enabled the restoration of democracy in that country following the aftermath of an election crisis.

On the welfare of personnel of the AFN, the former CDS said his administration embarked on numerous office and residential accommodations, approval of an improved Terms and Conditions of Service, and Manual of Financial Administration for the AFN.

He expressed appreciation to the Minister of Defence, members of the National Assembly, especially the Senate and House Committees on Defence for their support throughout his tenure in office.

He equally thanked the immediate Service Chiefs and the Chief of Defence Intelligence for their unwavering commitment to duty while in office.

The former CDS lauded the efforts, contributions and sacrifices of personnel of the AFN, veterans and civilian staff as well as troops in the various theatres of operation, urging the new military leadership to continue to provide the needed support to the families of military fallen heroes.

Gen Olonisakin who is a member of 25 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), thanked his course-mates for their inputs and service, describing them as his strategic team ‘A-Team’ which he said constituted members of the future Plans Committee.

Highlight of the ceremony included review of the parade by the immediate past CDS, march past in slow and quick time by 4 Guards comprising Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force and the pulling-out of the former CDS and his wife, Mrs Omobolanle Olonisakin.

Among the dignitaries that graced the occasion were; the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minster of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Mr Musa Instifanus, CDS, Maj Gen Lucky Irabor, Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao.

Others were Heads of Security and law enforcement agencies, former CDS, Admiral Ola Saa’d Ibrahim (rtd), former CNS, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (rtd), The President of Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association, Mrs. Victoria Irabor, and the Olode of Ode Ekiti.

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

Published

2 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.

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