From Magnus Eze
Nigeria will in May this year host the maiden edition of Africa raw materials summit.
Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials, Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso made the disclosure during a delegation visit to the first cassava processing company in Africa, Psaltry International Company Limited, located in Alayide village, Ado-Awaye, Iseyin LGA, Oyo State.
Represented by a delegation led by Professor Benard Odoh who is the Chairman, Africa Raw Materials Summit, the DG informed that the three-day summit is slated for Abuja.
He further said that it will also feature a pre-event in the form of the First National Conference of Women in Raw Materials Value Addition in Nigeria, scheduled for April and also in the nation’s capital.
It was gathered that the Council has increased momentum towards the planned hosting of the continental summit with visitations to stakeholders and indigenous firms operating in the country.
He disclosed that it was the first step by the RMRDC since it commenced stakeholder engagements to some indigenous industrialists identified as champions of raw materials value addition ahead of the planned summit in May.
He described Psaltry International as a company of many firsts, remarking that it is 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.
Other members of the delegation were Mrs. Rachael Kotso, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics Department and Co-chair, Africa Raw Materials Summit, Mr. Suraj Lawal, Director, Investment Promotion Department and Dr. Brenda Max-Nduaguibe, Technical Assistant to Director General on Strategic Partnerships accompanied by Mr. Owolabi Yinka, Oyo State Coordinator of RMRDC.
Responding, founder and CEO, Psaltry International Company Ltd, Mrs. Oluyemisi Iranloye thanked the RMRDC boss for sending a high-level delegation to invite her to the maiden Africa Raw Materials Summit and the pre-event of the First National Conference of Women in Raw Materials Value Addition.