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GOV. UGWUANYI’S UNCOMMON BENEVOLENCE AND MAGNANIMITY TO THE VICTIMS OF EndSARS VIOLENCE

Published

6 years ago

November 13, 2020

By Jeff Ejiofor

It is popularly said that when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice. The recent setting up of a judicial panel of enquiry to ascertain the level of damage and losses from the EndSARS violence with a view to adequately compensating the victims is highly commendable and an act of benevolence by the Government of Enugu State.

This is about the first governor to initiate this bold step in the wake of the unfortunate EndSARS violence that rocked many states. His proactive and benevolent nature is immesurable and should be commended by all men of goodwill to serve as an encouragement to others.

When we say Enugu is in the hands of God, it is because we’re enjoying a purposeful and people oriented leadership. A leadership with its primary focus on the wellbeing and welfare of citizens.

Apparently, cynics and self styled critics of government will certainly not see any big deal in the prompt manner with which the governor responded to this issue, but objective and rational reasoning acknowledge this lofty efforts.

Whether anybody likes it or not, Enugu State is lucky to have a godly man at the helm of affairs. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is godly and nobody can take it away from him, even his detractors know that. It’s a well known fact that most states affected by this problem have not made any tangible efforts at addressing the plight of the victims as Ugwuanyi has done. This is indeed a responsible leadership from a benevolent man with a very large heart.

In addition to instituting a framework to address the affected victims of the violence, Gov. Ugwuanyi has also proactively taken steps to repair and replace damaged infrastructure.

Rural Electrification Agency has been directed by the governor to immediately restore the traffic and street lights damaged in the process of the violence. It’s my pleasure to note here that they have swung into action and some of them are now functional again. Even the temporary bus stops destroyed are now being replaced by more quality and durable ones.

The city monuments errected at some strategic places such as Otigba Roundabout are being fixed to restore the beauty of Enugu. Even some road demarcating protectors installed to enhance traffic control in busy areas destroyed by hoodlums during the crisis are also receiving prompt attention.

His Excellency has equally taken steps to address some of the issues affecting the youths which were raised during the protest. In the area of empowernment, the governor has stepped up efforts to provide more funds and opportunities to boost SME in the state.

A lot of new policies and schemes have been introduced in this regard and many people are availing themselves of the opportunity presented by that. Recall also that at the begining of the protest, Ugwuanyi set up a panel of enquiry with quality membership which included the youths, to look into the issues raised and profer solution.

The committee have since commensed sitting and are contributing immensely in providing policy framework that will address most of the grievances tabled by the youths during the EndSARS protest. Only few governors in Nigeria have been able to articulate this line of action. It takes a governor with the interest of the people at heart to do that and Ugwuanyi is the man.

Incidentally, this display of magnanimity and call to duty by the governor is not trending because naysayers and self acclaimed social media critics are only interested in his perceived shortcomings. They are not always comfortable with the popular and people oriented policies which have become the hallmark of his administration.

The work as designated by their paymasters is to continually scoop social media space and evening beer palour gatherings in search of unfounded and damaging criticisms to deceive the public. They can never report issues of critical importance addressed by the governor. His Excellency’s inroads in social and educational sectors do not matter to them. His upward adjustment of Enugu workers’ salary to be at par with national average which has put on him a huge wage bill for the first time in the history of Enugu State mean nothing to them. Even the award of scholarships to Enugu students for further studies in both foreign and local institutions of higher learning is of no significance to such group of people.

The provision of road and health infrastructure in the rural areas to enhance the quality of lives of rural dwellers as is being aggressively pursued by this administration is of no use to them. The only thing that matters in their world of illusion is construction of flyovers around Enugu whether such is necessay or not. Most of them complain of not being settled with appointment after campaigning for the governor. Some even said he has not addressed the overall problems of Enugu State people including providing daily bread for every citizen.

Only God knows if any government in this world, including the ones of advanced societies have ever been able to satisfy human and societal needs or wants. I personally see such critics as dubiously mischevious. They manipulate the obtainable realities to confuse the gullible into believing in the existence of an utopian perfection.

In conclusion, let me succinctly advise us to appreciate good works so as to expect more. An Igbo adage taught us that whenever we appreciate and commend goodwill, we have chances of receiving more, ‘ eto dike n’ nke omelu, omekwa ozo’. It is explicit that Ugwuanyi is irrevocably committed to good and responsible governance geared towards uplifting the living standard of Enugu people. What we owe him as a people is our support, as well as prayers to continue serving us better. Dalu ezigbo onye ndu chukwu kwadolu, we are solidly behind you.

Enugu is in the hands of God.

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Business

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

Published

2 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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