FG pushes 30% value addition bill to end raw material drain

The Federal Government has moved to end Nigeria’s long-standing dependence on exporting raw materials cheaply and re-importing finished goods at high costs, with a proposed 30 per cent value addition bill described as a turning point for the country’s industrialisation.

At a National Advocacy and Sensitization Conference hosted by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council in Abuja, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN alongside the Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-muonso said the bill would compel exporters to process at least 30 per cent of raw materials locally before shipment.

Nigeria exported about N1.87 trillion worth of raw materials in the first half of 2025, representing a 159 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Experts warn that over 97 per cent of agricultural exports still leave the country unprocessed, forfeiting the chance to earn up to ten times more from finished goods.

“The way we export palm kernels for N100 and later import palm oil for N1,000 is a pact with poverty.

He explained that the bill would ensure that products like cassava are processed into starch, chips, flour, ethanol or garri before export, thereby creating jobs, factories, and local wealth.

The Director General of RMRDC said the initiative was Nigeria’s chance to stop being merely a supplier of raw materials. “The bill has two pillars: no raw material abundant in Nigeria should be imported, and no raw material should leave Nigeria unprocessed,” he stated.

“By commencing advocacy now, we are shortening the compliance learning curve. A mandate requiring 30 per cent value addition is a significant structural shift for exporters accustomed to shipping raw materials. It requires them to retool, secure technical partners and adjust their supply chains,” he added.

Stakeholders at the event agreed that the bill would boost manufacturing, support SMEs, reduce import bills, and attract investors ready to set up processing plants in Nigeria.

Both leaders stressed that the bill is not just another policy. “It is a pathway to industrial prosperity and a promise to the next generation that Nigeria will no longer trade its future for quick raw material cash,” they added.

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