Over 1,000 global participants are set to converge on Abuja for the Africa Raw Materials Summit 2025, scheduled to take place from May 20 to 22.
Addressing a press conference in the country’s capital on Thursday, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, said the summit, with the theme ‘Shaping the future of Africa’s resource landscape,’ aims to mobilize continental consensus on industrializing Africa’s resource base through innovation and value addition, aligning with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Prof. Ike-Muonso said the event would unlock Africa’s raw materials potential, adding that delegates would gain cutting-edge insights and solutions and explore pathways to local processing and global market competitiveness.
The Director General said participants would include industry leaders and raw materials experts, researchers, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and startups, as well as top officials from strategic ministries, including the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology; Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.
He said the gathering would advance Africa’s local raw material utilization and promote industrialization, economic growth, and sustainable development on the continent.
Ike-Muonso pointed out that the programme would also focus on the proposed 30 per cent Value Addition Mandate Bill, which seeks to mandate local processing of raw materials before export to stimulate industries, create jobs, and enhance competitiveness.
The summit, he said, also seeks to mark a turning point in Africa’s history, shifting from exporting raw materials to shaping its future through industrialization and value addition.
“We expect the summit to produce several key outcomes. These include a Pan-African Declaration on Raw Materials Industrialization, firm regional support for the 30 Percent Value Addition Mandate and similar national initiatives, the launch of continental investment frameworks for beneficiation and industrial infrastructure, and the establishment of new alliances for resource mapping, technology transfer, and the commercialization of research outputs,” he stated.
