The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has announced that the official launch of the Nigeria Raw Materials Information Management System (NRMIMS) will unlock the nation’s full industrial potential, enhance transparency, and drive economic transformation.
Speaking at the launch event held at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) in Abuja, Nnaji emphasized that despite Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, challenges such as data gaps and poor integration have hindered optimal utilization.
“Nigeria is rich in natural resources, yet the lack of accurate, accessible data on raw material reserves, quality, and locations has led to inefficiencies, high import dependence, and reduced investor confidence,” he stated.
“This platform will empower manufacturers with reliable data for local sourcing, reduce import reliance, and boost domestic production. It is also expected to attract investors, potentially bringing in $30 billion in investments over the next decade”, he said
The NRMIMS initiative, he added, is a milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward industrial growth, economic diversification, and sustainable development, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Minister stressed that the platform would play a pivotal role in job creation and industrialization by strengthening local production and enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global market. He affirmed that Nigeria is now ready to build a data-driven economy, where innovation and local resources fuel industrialization and economic prosperity.
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“With the RMMIS, Nigeria is poised to enhance its global competitiveness, ensure data-driven industrial policies, and promote resource efficiency and sustainable extraction. As Chief Nnaji noted, “Together, we will build a data-driven economy, where local resources fuel industrialization, innovation flourishes, and sustainability becomes the foundation of Nigeria’s economic prosperity”, he said.
Calling on government agencies, researchers, private sector players, and development partners, Nnaji urged active engagement and data contribution to ensure the platform reaches its full potential.
In his remarks, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Munonso, Director-General of RMRDC, highlighted that the innovation developed by the council serves as a critical resource for investors, manufacturers, researchers, and policymakers. He noted that the user-friendly portal provides advanced tools to support research and development while ensuring sustainable raw material utilization for industrial growth.
Also speaking, John Owan Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment noted that the NRMIMS is a significant milestone in Nigeria’s economic and industrial journey through the launch of the raw materials management and information system, and the EU Registration Portal for raw material pillars and to the analysers of raw materials.
“We can no longer ignore this stark reality of spending, and we spend almost 10 billion dollars annually due to human reliance on protected raw materials And I think that over 70% of our materials are imported”, he said.
He noted that the benefits of this initiative is quite profound as it gives a unique opportunity to address long-standing challenges in the raw material sector.
Earlier, Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), said, “The RMMIS, an innovation developed by the Agency is a user-friendly portal for managing raw materials data.
The Director General stated that the RMMIS covers all critical and strategic raw materials comprising agricultural, solid minerals, etc. It also contains both technical and investment information and covers more than 17,000 data points based on raw materials occurring across every part of the Country.