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FCT-Edo Leaders and Patriots Back Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu

Published

6 years ago

August 3, 2020

Leaders and Patriots drawn from various Edo state associations of ethnic groups residing in the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday endorsed the candidacy of Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu as their preferred choice for the September 19 elections.

Speaking at the forum’s meeting, the president of the Committee of Edo Leaders and Patriots of FCT, Hon. Isaac Ehigiator said the forum has carefully scrutinized the credentials and antecedents of the two contending aspirants, hence their choice for the APC Governorship candidate of Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu.

Hon. Ehigiator noted that the committee will move around the six area councils of the FCT to mobilize over fifty thousand Edo indigenes whose Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is registered in Edo state.

“Let me quickly say, the committee had the opportunity of scrutinizing the credentials, antecedents, and programs/manifestos for the project as presented by contending aspirants. It is our view and our conviction that our dear state deserves better, the task of repositioning Edo state should, therefore, be holistic and driven with sincerity of purpose, emotional intelligence, and respect for the tradition as well as all other leaders involved in the greater Edo project for the goodwill of all, home or in the diaspora.

Furthermore, it must be emphasized that Edo boasts of more than 50,000 indigents resident in the FCT with voting right domicile in Edo state. Going forward, I want to affirm on behalf of the committee of Edo Leaders and Patriots that the manifesto as presented by Pst. Osagie Ize Iyamu of APC as vividly captured in the SIMPLE Agenda program for the greater Edo project represents the true desires and aspirations of all Edo sons and daughters irrespective of where they reside anywhere in the world.”Hon Ehigiator added.

In his response,the candidate of the APC, Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu who was represented by the APC Director-General of Edo South Governorship Campaign Organsation, Hon. Samson Osagie thanked the forum for finding the candidate of the APC worthy as the next governor of Edo state.

The former federal lawmaker listed the challenges confronting governance in Edo state, stating that the government of Godwin Obaseki had deviated from the party’s plans and has engaged in propaganda. He said that the good people of the state have lost touch with governance unlike what was felt during the tenure of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

“I want to thank members of this forum and all Edo Indigenes residing in FCT. Our state has been confronting the challenge of governance for almost four years.

Contrary to media propaganda of the governor and his government,a lot is left undone in governance and its impact is being felt by the people of Edo state.

As a member of the All Progressive Congress APC, a platform on whom the governor was elected in 2016, the expectation of the party and the vast majority of the people was very high and the disappointment began to show in the middle of his tenure when he (Gov.Obaseki) deviated from the plans of the party and he declared war on members of his own political party.

You will agree with me that the government is not attempting to construct infrastructure. Government is all about the people but contrary to what we found about the posture of the man we elected as governor, who we thought that would have turned Edo into an industrial hub. Rather than construct infrastructure, the governor engaged in an imaginary fight.

Our schools are in a pitiable condition and it will interest you to know that the government has not employed a single teacher for almost four years. In secondary schools, what you will find is a principal and four teachers. The school blocks constructed by our former Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole lack maintenance. The governor promised 200,000 jobs but you cannot find anyone engaged by the government of Obaseki in Edo state. When his former Chief of Staff asked questions about this claim of jobs provided, he was vilified.

The governor has failed because ordinary a governor who has done well getting a second tenure shouldn’t have been a problem. The party has now recognized a homegrown candidate to implement the development projects of Edo state and not one who will sign MOUs with over 20 countries with nothing to show. The APC decided to choose a Pastor with the Redeem Church of God, a former SSG, a former Chief of Staff, a member of the APC constitution drafting committee, and a former governorship of the PDP in 2016.”Hon. Osagie stated.

The former Minority Whip at the Sixth National Assembly went on to explain the SIMPLE Agenda of Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu, promising that the APC candidate will not disappoint the people of Edo state if elected.

Present at the meeting was a former lawmaker representing Ovia federal consistuency, Bar. West Idahosa, Hon.Isaac Osahon and other notable Edo sons and daughters.

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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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