{"id":130097,"date":"2026-10-18T07:01:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T06:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=130097"},"modified":"2026-10-18T07:01:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T06:01:06","slug":"rmrdcs-30-pilot-plants-face-alleged-abandonment-analyst-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/rmrdcs-30-pilot-plants-face-alleged-abandonment-analyst-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"RMRDC\u2019s 30 Pilot Plants Face Alleged Abandonment, Analyst Warns"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Tracy Moses<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

A system analyst and social critic, Dr David Okoro-Arinze, has raised concerns over the alleged abandonment of more than 30 pilot plants at the Research and Demonstration Plant Complex (RDPC) of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), warning that their reported inactivity could undermine Nigeria\u2019s industrial development and efforts to reduce dependence on imported raw materials.<\/p>\n

In an article titled \u201cA Laudable Vision That May Never Be Realised,\u201d<\/em> Okoro-Arinze urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure that the facility along Airport Road, Abuja, fulfils its mandate of promoting indigenous technologies, supporting local manufacturing and creating jobs.<\/p>\n

He alleged that industrial activities at the complex were suspended following a change in the council\u2019s leadership in 2024, raising questions about the utilisation of public investment in infrastructure established to advance research and industrial production.<\/p>\n

However, the council\u2019s published reports present a contrasting account of its activities. In April 2026, the RMRDC said most of the pilot plants at the complex were functional and ready for commercialisation. It also reported that the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, had inspected the facilities and called for stronger private-sector partnerships to scale up the technologies.<\/p>\n

The differing accounts have raised questions about the plants\u2019 current operational status, the extent of their utilisation and progress towards commercialising the technologies developed at the facility.<\/p>\n

The RMRDC, a federal agency under the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, is responsible for promoting the development and optimal utilisation of Nigeria\u2019s raw materials for industrial growth and economic development. Its mandate includes encouraging local sourcing, promoting appropriate processing technologies and supporting research to strengthen domestic manufacturing.<\/p>\n

Complex designed to promote indigenous technology<\/h2>\n

According to Okoro-Arinze, the facility was initially known as the RMRDC Technology and Innovation Complex before it was renamed the Research and Demonstration Plant Complex.<\/p>\n

He described it as a major industrial research and development investment, comprising structures spread across three hectares of land along Airport Road, Abuja.<\/p>\n

The complex, he said, housed more than 30 pilot plants designed to demonstrate technologies developed through the council\u2019s research and development programmes.<\/p>\n

The facilities were intended to enable researchers and engineers to test production processes, improve equipment performance and establish the technical and commercial viability of products before transferring the technologies to private investors for large-scale manufacturing.<\/p>\n

Okoro-Arinze said the complex was also conceived to attract private-sector investment in resource-based industries, provide facilities for academic research and promote the use of locally available raw materials in manufacturing.<\/p>\n

He maintained that the facility was not intended to compete with private manufacturers but to demonstrate the viability of indigenous technologies and give prospective investors the confidence to adopt them.<\/p>\n

The council\u2019s published description of the RDPC similarly identifies pilot-plant development, technology demonstration, equipment fabrication and the promotion of commercially viable innovations among the complex\u2019s functions.<\/p>\n

Analyst questions production activities<\/h2>\n

Okoro-Arinze alleged that industrial activities began after the completion of the first and second phases of the complex but were subsequently suspended under the council\u2019s current leadership.<\/p>\n

He attributed the alleged suspension to the position that the RMRDC should not compete with private manufacturers, arguing that the reasoning overlooked the purpose of pilot-scale production.<\/p>\n

According to him, test production is necessary to establish whether a product can be manufactured efficiently, meet market requirements and generate sufficient returns to attract private investment.<\/p>\n

He cited the production of tonnes of dolomite as one of the activities he said had been halted, adding that test production began before Professor Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso assumed office as the council\u2019s Director-General.<\/p>\n

He also listed the production of malaria-prevention tea from Artemisia annua<\/em> and soap from soap noodles among the activities he alleged had been discontinued.<\/p>\n

Okoro-Arinze argued that the projects demonstrated the complex\u2019s potential to develop products from locally available resources and stimulate investment in domestic industries.<\/p>\n

He maintained that stopping pilot-scale production on the grounds that the council should not compete with manufacturers failed to distinguish between demonstrating a technology and operating a full-scale commercial enterprise.<\/p>\n

According to him, pilot plants provide a platform for testing technologies and establishing their commercial prospects before private-sector operators commit resources to expanding production.<\/p>\n

However, the allegations concerning the suspension of activities and the reasons behind it have not been independently verified. The council\u2019s response to these specific claims was not available.<\/p>\n

More than 30 pilot plants listed<\/h2>\n

Okoro-Arinze listed several industrial facilities and pieces of equipment reportedly housed at the complex, covering pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and other manufacturing applications.<\/p>\n

They include pilot plants for pharmaceutical-grade talc, calcined kaolin, caustic soda, precipitated calcium carbonate, aluminium sulphate, copper sulphate, water-borne paint, soap noodles and essential oils.<\/p>\n

Others include facilities for producing hydrated lime, processing Artemisia annua<\/em>, manufacturing sorbitol, processing sugar beet and sweet sorghum, extracting oil seeds and their derivatives, producing Matra Kilishi, developing sweeteners and processing tomato paste.<\/p>\n

The council\u2019s account of the ministerial inspection in April 2026 also identified facilities for producing soap noodles, caustic soda, calcined kaolin, pharmaceutical-grade talc and artemisinin active pharmaceutical ingredient derived from Artemisia annua<\/em>, among other technologies.<\/p>\n

Okoro-Arinze argued that the range of facilities demonstrated the complex\u2019s potential to support several industrial value chains if the plants were properly maintained and their technologies successfully commercialised.<\/p>\n

Greater domestic processing of raw materials could enable Nigerian manufacturers to source more inputs locally, reduce exposure to foreign exchange pressures and develop products for domestic and export markets.<\/p>\n

Realising these benefits, however, would depend on the condition of the equipment, the technical viability of the production processes, the availability of raw materials and the ability to attract private-sector investment.<\/p>\n

Why pilot-scale production matters<\/h2>\n

Explaining the importance of pilot plants, Okoro-Arinze said projects must progress beyond conceptualisation and laboratory research to establish whether feasibility studies could translate into commercially viable operations.<\/p>\n

He argued that pilot production and test marketing enable researchers to assess demand, identify defects, determine production costs and make necessary adjustments before investors commit substantial resources to large-scale manufacturing.<\/p>\n

According to him, investors are often reluctant to finance unfamiliar technologies without evidence that the proposed products can be manufactured efficiently and sold profitably.<\/p>\n

He added that manufacturing ventures may take considerable time to break even, making research and demonstration facilities important for reducing the risks associated with developing new industrial products.<\/p>\n

Okoro-Arinze said the complex had provided an environment in which engineers could assess production processes, test equipment and improve components requiring modification.<\/p>\n

He further claimed that engineers associated with the projects had been sent to similar facilities in Ethiopia, China, India and the United Kingdom to study relevant technologies and explore ways to improve the equipment.<\/p>\n

He expressed concern that the alleged suspension of operations could interrupt the development of indigenous technologies and undermine previous investments in research and industrial innovation.<\/p>\n

The analyst also claimed that parts of the complex had become overgrown with weeds, raising concerns about the maintenance of the facility and the condition of its infrastructure.<\/p>\n

These claims about the physical condition of the complex and the operational status of the plants have not been independently verified.<\/p>\n

Commercialisation remains a key challenge<\/h2>\n

The dispute over the complex\u2019s operational status comes amid Federal Government efforts to move locally developed technologies from research facilities into commercial production.<\/p>\n

During his inspection in April 2026, Udeh called for technologies developed by the RMRDC to be scaled up and adopted by private investors. He emphasised the importance of commercialisation and stronger industry partnerships in translating research achievements into wider economic benefits.<\/p>\n

The council has also identified the commercialisation of research outcomes as a means of increasing local production, supporting job creation and reducing imports of finished products that could be manufactured from raw materials available in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

Okoro-Arinze referred to a reported N40 trillion manufacturing opportunity associated with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, arguing that stronger domestic raw materials processing could help the country realise its industrial potential.<\/p>\n

The figure, however, requires further verification to establish its source and the specific opportunity it represents.<\/p>\n

The analyst maintained that the availability of natural resources alone would not guarantee industrial growth without the technology and production capacity needed to process them into usable inputs and finished products.<\/p>\n

He argued that a functional demonstration complex could bridge the gap between research and commercial production by showing that locally developed technologies could operate under practical conditions.<\/p>\n

Such facilities could also help attract investors, strengthen domestic supply chains and create employment across industries that depend on raw materials processing.<\/p>\n

Tinubu urged to intervene<\/h2>\n

Okoro-Arinze called on President Tinubu to direct urgent action to ensure that the complex fulfils the objectives for which it was established.<\/p>\n

He argued that reviving the facility would help protect public investment while strengthening Nigeria\u2019s capacity to develop, test and commercialise indigenous technologies.<\/p>\n

He urged the Federal Government to assess the condition of the plants, establish the reasons for any suspension of production and determine the measures needed to improve their utilisation and commercial prospects.<\/p>\n

Although the RMRDC\u2019s published reports indicate that efforts to commercialise the technologies and attract private-sector participation were ongoing in 2026, the council\u2019s response to the specific allegations of suspended production and deterioration of the facility was not available.<\/p>\n

An independent assessment of the complex\u2019s present condition, production activities and progress towards commercialisation would help establish the extent of any operational challenges and identify the measures required to address them.<\/p>\n

Okoro-Arinze maintained that the facility offered an opportunity to translate research into commercial production and strengthen Nigeria\u2019s industrial capacity, warning that failure to put the plants to productive use could undermine the objectives for which the complex was establishe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n