Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, used the opening of the Africa Raw Materials Summit in Abuja on 19 October to call for a shift from exporting unprocessed resources toward technology-based manufacturing and higher-value products. The two-day summit’s theme was “From African Feedstock to African Factory.”

The Federal Ministry of Information’s account said speakers from government, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, UNIDO, the Bank of Industry and manufacturers emphasised research, processing technology, industrial finance and cooperation between universities and companies. These were calls and priorities discussed at the event; the report did not announce a new financing commitment, production target or signed industrial project.