Misedi leadership presents a plaque to RMRDC Director-General Prof. Nnanyelugo M. Ike-Muonso during a courtesy visit to the Council’s Abuja office on June 23, 2026. Misedi Empowerment Initiative for Africa (MISEDI), an NGO of women entrepreneurs (the name stands for Micro Sector Development Initiative), has appointed RMRDC Director-General Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso as its new Patron. In an official ceremony on Tuesday, June 23, MISEDI country Director Mrs. Bosede Eitokpah led a delegation to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) headquarters in Abuja. They presented Prof. Ike-Muonso with a commemorative plaque, formally honoring his “commitment to inclusive development and women’s empowerment”.
The visit underscored MISEDI’s focus on deepening women’s economic empowerment through value-added processing of Nigeria’s resources. Eitokpah praised the DG’s leadership and reaffirmed MISEDI’s support for the proposed “30% Value Addition Bill” now before the National Assembly. (This bill, which has already passed the House of Representatives, would require at least 30% local processing of raw materials before export.) The MISEDI team said local value-adding is critical to industrial growth and job creation. “We believe the future of Nigeria’s economy lies in our ability to process and add value to our raw materials locally,” the women told the DG. “Our network of women entrepreneurs is fully committed to advocating for the passage and implementation of this bill.” She emphasized that enforcing the 30% threshold will create jobs and expand opportunities for small and medium enterprises – especially businesses led by women.
MISEDI also highlighted its ongoing training and mentoring programs designed to equip women entrepreneurs for leadership in agriculture, manufacturing and technology. The NGO delegation explained that MISEDI conducts capacity-building workshops in product development, business management, digital marketing and financial literacy. The NGO wants to partner with institutions like the Bank of Industry, to help women secure financing to scale up their businesses. “Such initiatives will enabled many women to expand their businesses, create jobs and penetrate export markets,” the group noted.
In response, Prof. Ike-Muonso applauded MISEDI’s work as vital to Nigeria’s Renewed Hope economic agenda.
He observed that MISEDI’s programs align with President Tinubu’s vision of inclusive growth, where “no one is left behind, especially our women”. The DG thanked the women for their partnership and urged MISEDI to extend mentorship to female public servants preparing for retirement, helping them transition into entrepreneurship.
The visit concluded on a hopeful note, with both MISEDI and RMRDC officials expressing optimism that their collaboration will advance women’s economic participation, foster local value addition, and drive Nigeria’s industrialization forward. As MISEDI declared in its statement, “we are proud to welcome [Prof. Ike-Muonso] as our esteemed Patron to champion the continuous empowerment of women in Nigeria.”
