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Jamila Bio Ibrahim: A Deserved Minister For Nigerian Youth

Published

3 years ago

October 3, 2023

By: Ahmed Mohammed Sule

While she awaits confirmation by Distinguished Members of the 10th Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the appointment of Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim by His Excellency, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-In-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria as a Minister of the Federal Republic and consequent conferment of the portfolio of the Honourable Minister and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Ministry of Youth, is undoubtedly a well-deserved development.

This has been what the Nigerian youth have long been yearning for – that of having one of their own – A Vibrant Youth! – The like of Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim as the Minister of Youth. Now they have it.

At age 37 and a medical doctor with a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), all obtained from the University of Ilorin. She then proceeded to the University of Washington, USA where she did a Course Program on Health Management and Leadership.

Thereafter, she established her NGO called Yon Seno Foundation.

In recognition of her pedigree and commitment to national growth and development, Dr. Jamila was appointed to the membership of the Think Tank of the National Policy Summit in 2017. She also served as a volunteer member of the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI) on humanitarian intervention and Transformational Development of the region.

Furtherance to the service of her home state, Dr. Jamila served as the Secretary of the Sub Committee on Health, Women Affairs, Population, and Environment of the Transition Committee of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak of Kwara state in 2019.

The Governor thereafter appointed her as his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on SDGs and became the Kwara state Focal person for the National Human Capital Development Program and the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).

As a continuation of her service to the country, she became the National Vice President of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Young Women Forum (APC-PYWF) in 2021. Ahead of the 2023 elections, she was appointed Member of the APC Presidential Campaign Committee on Sustainable Development.

With lots of experience gathered in social and development service matters for humanity and as a vibrant youth with a focus on duty and commitment to serve Nigeria, Dr. Jamila no doubt fits in most appropriately as the Nigerian Minister of Youth that the country looks forward to having at this point in time.

The Minister nominee is coming on board when the National Youth Policy document 2019 – 2023 is in its last lap of implementation. Already, a 27-member Committee was set up and inaugurated in July to review the National Youth Policy. It is expected to have a reviewed and updated document of the National Youth Policy by February 2024. The essence of the National Youth Policy is for the country to have a befitting and comprehensive document that will serve as a guide for developing the nation’s teeming youth.

It is also a policy document of government that serves as a roadmap of how the government intends to pursue its goal, vision, mission, and mandate in the growth and development of the Nigerian youth into better citizens of the country with that zeal of patriotism in them to in turn, contribute meaningfully and positively to the growth and development of the country.

When approved and adopted as the National Youth Policy document in 2024, It is expected to run from 2024 to 2029 before it is due for another review, that is after the statutory period of 5 years of implementation as a working document of the Ministry.

But while the process is ongoing, the 2019 – 2023 National Youth Policy still suffices as the working document for the incoming Minister to use as her reference point in carrying out the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration for the Nigerian youth.

The administration of President Bola Tinubu has put the issue of youth development and prosperity on the front burner of his policy agenda, especially, that of empowering the youth economically to own and run small and medium-scale enterprises, promising to make loans at very low-interest rates available accessible for them.

He also stated the commitment of his government to creating meaningful opportunities for the Nigerian youth in job creation, education and skills development, digital innovation and technology, financial support, and inclusive participation in governance, all as part of the reforms the president envisages to make the Nigerian youth productive, useful, responsible, self-reliant and a great contributor to the socio-economic growth and development of the country.

So, the expectations are high and the demands are enormous by the Nigerian youth from the Youth Ministry, which Dr. Jamila is bracingly prepared to handle and deliver excellently well. This is because her past records of national activities and engagements are all testimonies to her capability and capacity to deliver well and well on her mandate.

The Nigerian youth plays a key role in the National Development of the country. Dr. Jamila’s tenure at the ministry will bring on board a very pragmatic approach that spells out a clear policy framework that will ensure the enabling environment for the youth to maximally realize their creative and productive potentials which will in turn enable them to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the country.

It is a known fact that the youth of this country are grappling with a series of challenges hindering them from exploring their optimal potential. The incoming Minister is quite aware of this and ready with the best of strategies to mainstream youth concerns into national development efforts, giving them priority attention as a show of commitment to human capital development with special emphasis on the nation’s vibrant youth.

Addressing the fear by the Nigerian youth of outright neglect and marginalization will be paramount and a cardinal principle of Dr. Jamila through the advancement of their welfare, making it possible for them to access all available avenues and opportunities to achieve self-actualization in a participatory process of the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

Having fully understood that the nation’s human capital resources lie in its large youth population, capacity development, and youth empowerment initiatives will be the hallmark of her administration in ensuring that the Nigerian youth is skillfully empowered and made self-reliant as well as being socially responsible citizens.

The Minister nominee has the hindsight of the provision of a sustainable framework for integrated development of policies and programs that are geared towards enhancing and promoting the development of the Nigerian youth via the following enumerated policy guidelines of her administrative acumen; youth inclusiveness in policy and decision making as well as accessibility to information on Government’s policies, programs and activities so they can rightly key into them.

In realization of the government’s lean financial resources and desirous of cooperation from related development bodies, the involvement of key players and critical stakeholders as partners in youth development matters will be leveraged to include; the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Organized Private Sector (OPS), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and International Agencies as partners and donors.

The minister’s policy thrusts will be hinged on the desire to empower the youth to actualized their potentials and take advantage of the opportunities available to make positive contributions to the well-being of their communities across the country.

Having also the policy vision to develop the Nigeria youth with equal opportunities to realize their dreams and aspirations, irrespective of their background and living in a safe and secure environment that would optimize their contributions to National Development.

In pursuit of a policy mission that will provide stakeholders in youth development an all-inclusive framework that will ensure the realization of the full potentials of all Nigerian young men and women irrespective of their ethnic, religious, and socio-economic background.

With the policy goal of providing an appropriate framework that protects the fundamental human rights of all youth, promote their optimal development and well-being, and enhance their participation in every aspect of national growth, advancement and development.

Key focus for achieving a wholistic national youth development agenda will be; a productive workforce and sustainable economic engagement of youth, a healthy and health-promoting lifestyle, participation, inclusiveness and equitable opportunities for all youth, partnership-building and effective collaboration:

Youth development is a cross-cutting national agenda, as such, the implementation of the policy agenda of the government will leverage on and involve all development partners, particularly on national and international adopted agreements and treaties on youth development matters that conform with our national aspirations viz-a-viz: The Charter of the United Nations; The United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth; The National Council on Youth Development The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); The ECOWAS Commission Youth Policy; The African Youth Charter; The Commonwealth Youth Charter; The Charter of the United Nations and The United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth. All of which will be guiding principles for the national actions on youth development.

AHMED MOHAMMED SULE

A public affairs analyst.

Plot 80, Off Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Garki 2, Abuja

08033638481

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

Published

5 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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