The Director-General of Raw Materials and Research Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has disclosed that plans have reached advanced stage for the maiden African Raw Materials Summit in Abuja.
He said that the council has long commenced stakeholder engagements by visiting some indigenous industrialists identified as champions of raw materials value addition, stressing that it was a big boost for Nigeria to receive the hosting rights for the first edition of the continental meeting.
Ike-Muonso, who dropped the hint while leading a delegation on a visit to the first cassava processing company in Africa, Psaltery International Company Limited, Alayide Village, Ado-Awaye in Iseyin Local Council, Oyo State, explained that the three-day summit is slated for May 20 to 22, 2025.
He added that the event will be preceded by the First National Conference of Women in Raw Materials Value Addition in Nigeria scheduled to hold from April 23 to 24, 2025, in Abuja.
The high-powered delegation comprised the chairman, Africa Raw Materials Summit, Prof. Bernard Odoh; Director, Planning, Research & Statistics Department and Co-chair, Africa Raw Materials Summit, Mrs. Rachael Kotso; Director, Investment Promotion Department, Mr. Suraj Lawal; Technical Assistant to Director General on Strategic Partnerships, Dr. Brenda Max-Nduaguibe, and Oyo State Coordinator of RMRDC, Mr. Owolabi Yinka.
Speaking through Odoh, the DG remarked that the visit to the firm was the first step by the RMRDC since it commenced stakeholder engagements with some indigenous industrialists.
He described Psaltery International Company Ltd as a concern of many firsts, being the first Cassava processing company in Africa to process sorbitol from cassava and the second in the world.
“The company has excelled in value addition of cassava to produce derivatives which include high-quality cassava flour, food grade cassava starch, methanol, cassava glucose syrup and sorbitol which serves confectionaries, the pharmaceutical, personal care, food and beverage sectors,” he said.
The delegation commended the company’s founder, Mrs. Oluyemisi Iranloye, for showing leadership and excellence by establishing the leading Agro-processing Cassava company that is 100 per cent indigenous.
Odoh stated: “May I, on behalf of the DG on whose behest we are paying this visit and indeed the entire council, highly commend you, Mrs. Iranloye, for epitomising the mandate of RMRDC by not only adding value to cassava, but also to young people, women and farmers in the community.
“Let me also use the opportunity of this visit to convey the DG’s invitation to Mrs. Iranloye for participation in the Maiden Africa Raw Materials Summit coming up in Abuja.
“This visit is part of RMRDC’s activities towards deepening stakeholder engagements to some indigenous industrialists considered as champions of raw materials value addition ahead of the African summit.”
In her remarks, Iranloye narrated how the company was founded in 2005, noting that it started operations with only 17 farmers.
“In 20 years, Psaltry International has supported over 25,000 farmers and is poised to support another 15,000 female farmers,” she stated.
She thanked the council for the visit and announced her intention to attend the upcoming summit.
The highpoint of the visit was a guided tour of the factory as well as the newly installed 1.6MW solar farm that provides green energy for the factory operations.
