MAN, RMRDC to Showcase Industry-Supportive Strategies in Manufacturing at 2023 NME/NIRAM Expo

 

The upcoming 8th Edition of the Nigeria Manufacturing and Equipment Expo (NME) and the 9th Edition of the Nigerian Raw Materials Expo (NIRAM), organized by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment & the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is set to hold with the aim of highlighting the need for stakeholders to engage in in-depth discussions on the importance of forward-thinking, environmentally responsible, and industry-supportive strategies in manufacturing.

President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Otunba Francis Meshioye, made this known at the Press Conference held for the 2023 Nigeria Manufacturing & Equipment Expo (NME) on Monday, November 6, 2023 at Man House, 77, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos.

Meshioye said that the theme for this year ‘Manufacturing; Building a Sustainable Roadmap to the Industralization of Nigeria’  also underscores manufacturing’s pivotal role as a catalyst for economic and social development within the region.

President, MAN said “The NME & NIRAM Expo, recognized as the preeminent and all-encompassing event covering every facet of the manufacturing value chain, is gearing up to tackle pivotal issues in line with our theme ‘Manufacturing; Building a Sustainable Roadmap to the Industralization of Nigeria’. This year, our focus is squarely on discussions and solutions that will drive the manufacturing industry towards a prosperous and sustainable future. We’ll explore innovative strategies, cutting-edge technologies, and sustainable practices that can contribute to the growth of the entire African manufacturing ecosystem.

“In the ever-evolving landscape where disruptive technologies and trends, including Blockchain, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Green Energy, and Augmented Reality, are set to shape the future, we must harness these innovations to foster self-sufficiency.”

He urged all the industry stakeholders not to lose sight of the importance of harnessing locally sourced raw materials and availing themselves of critical support services such as financing and logistics.

These elements, he said, will play a central role in the discussions during the event, taking place from the 21st to the 23rd of November 2023, by 9am at the Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to the MAN President, “This event serves as a pivotal platform for embracing technology to produce our own goods, support sustainable development, and ensure we are not reliant on developed nations.

“We must also remain committed to utilizing locally sourced raw materials and leveraging essential support services, including financing and logistics, to drive our manufacturing endeavours and propel us into a prosperous and sustainable future.”

Meshioye urged the large, medium, and small manufacturing organisations to key into the immense opportunity presented by this year’s expo to explore novel production processes that enhance output, reduce expenses, elevate product quality, and diversify into new product lines.

“Consistent with our tradition, the NME will be co-located with the Manufacturing Partnership for African Development (Mpad) conference, a strategic forum uniting thought leaders in the manufacturing sector, policymakers, and government regulatory agencies to address existing challenges and generate innovative ideas for industry growth and development. Renowned political economy and management expert, Prof. Pat Utomi, will lead this session along with distinguished manufacturers confirmed as discussants at the event,” he added.

Concurrently, the MAN President said that the Raw Material Research & Development Council (RMRDC) will offer masterclasses featuring the latest research findings delivered by carefully selected experts.

He stressed that another significant event is the Women in Manufacturing session, affording accomplished women in the field the opportunity to share their experiences with aspiring female manufacturers who may be considering entry into the sector.

He highlighted that attendance is free, but preregistration is required to facilitate effective planning and coordination, adding ‘Registration details can be found in the marketing brochures provided for your reference and dissemination.’

In his remarks, Prof. Hussaini Doko Ibrahim, Director-General/CEO, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) said that the Council was established to expedite Nigeria’s industrial development through optimal utilisation of its natural endowments (agro and mineral raw materials) as inputs for manufacturing.

Ibrahim, who was represented at the press conference by John Obekpa, Director Business Innovation Centre, RMRDC, stated that the objective of the Council is to develop local raw materials and coordinate research efforts in relation to raw materials acquisition, exploitation, conservation and development.

“Through a very wide and tasking mandate, in order to effectively deliver on the objective, we had to seek for and achieve a Repeal and Re-Enactment of the RMRDC Act by an act of Parliament in August 2022 to accommodate/address the gaps identified. Thus, the mandates now include: To undertake research and development on local raw materials for utilisation by the industries; Liaise with relevant regulatory agencies for the standardisation of raw materials to meet industrial specifications; Promote Nigeria’s competitiveness in raw materials and products development; Establish raw materials analysis and certification laboratories for use by industries; and To undertake measures to ensure the systematic exploitation, development and utilization of Nigeria’s raw material resources.These have emboldened the RMRDC’s impetus, to include all these in its 2023 – 2026 operational strategic plan,” he emphasized.

The RMRDC boss stated that the collaboration with MAN is strategic as the roles complement each other, adding “this underscores our partnership in co-hosting these yearly expositions to maximise the benefits to our common stakeholders, who continually aim to reduce the cost of manufacturing amid the rising cost of raw materials and process equipment.

“On our part, the Council has assiduously worked over the years with stakeholders to increase manufacturers’ access to both basic and secondary raw materials. The primary production of several strategic agricultural raw materials like cotton, sorghum, tomatoes, cocoa, sheet trees, oil palms, soya beans, cane sugar, cashew, fruits and sesame have been boosted by providing specific farmers with improved seeds or seedlings as the case might be,” he said.

He announced that establishing over fourty pilot plants at the recently inaugurated Raw Materials and Development Council’s Technology and Innovation Complex, Obasanjo Space Centre, Airport Road, Abuja, is a testimony to the unwavering commitment of the Council to ensuring competitiveness in raw materials and products development.

According to him, “The pilot plants at the complex signpost the Nigerian ‘’I Can Do spirit’’ as it has emerged as a unique manufacturers’ hub.  It beckons venture capitalists to replicate the plants across the country for increased manufacturing activities even as their feasibility/viability and the capability of Nigerian Engineers to design and fabricate manufacturing equipment have been astutely demonstrated by the quality of indigenous engineering prowess brought to bear in putting the Technology and Innovation Complex together.”

He further stated that the centre has developed technologies that can produce caustic soda, soap noodles, calcium carbonate, lovastatin, herbal medicine, calcined kaolin, chemicals, talc, hydrated lime, essential oil, API from Mushrooms, Artemisia and triple concentrated tomato paste, which are secondary raw materials which are hitherto with limited local inputs and heavily imported, adding that the technical feasibility/viability of all these have been ascertained and need scaling up for investment.

These innovations and their products, he said, would be on display at the expo alongside other local raw materials and products with the hope that a detailed exposê of the nation’s raw materials and their potential to grow the manufacturing sector will be made.