Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, the Director-General and Chief Executive of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), is set to deliver the 10th edition of The Bullion Lecture, a high-level policy and economic discourse platform in Nigeria.
The lecture, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2026, will take place at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. It will centre on the theme: “From Resources to Prosperity: How Raw Materials Development, Value Addition and Innovation Can Catalyse Nigeria’s Industrial Renaissance.”
According to the organisers, Ike-Muonso is widely regarded as a leading Natural Resource Economist and academic figure with over three decades of experience in raw materials market dynamics, supply chain economics, and research commercialisation.
In his current role at RMRDC, he operates at the nexus of policy, industry, and academia, driving initiatives aimed at repositioning Nigeria from a primary resource exporter to a value-added industrial economy.
A key highlight of his policy advocacy is the proposed 30% Value-Addition Bill, which seeks to mandate the local processing of all extracted raw materials before export.
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He has also consistently pushed for restrictions on the importation of goods that can be competitively produced locally, arguing that such measures are essential to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base and achieving economic sovereignty.
Under his leadership, the RMRDC is pursuing a broader strategy to transform Nigeria into a regional manufacturing and production hub for Africa, leveraging local raw material endowments to stimulate industrial growth and job creation.
Before his appointment at RMRDC, he served as Chief Executive Officer of ValueFronteira Limited, a commodities research and data analytics firm.
His professional background also includes advisory and consultancy engagements with global institutions such as the World Bank, UNDP, European Commission, ECOWAS, USAID, DFID/FCDO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as collaborations with leading academic institutions including Lagos Business School and Edinburgh Business School.
A statement issued in Lagos by Dr. Ray Echebiri, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Financial Journalism and organiser of The Bullion Lecture, confirmed that the 2026 edition marks the 10th anniversary of the series.
The event will be chaired by Otunba Kelvin Dele Oye, Chairman of the Alliance for Economic Research and Ethics and former President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
Panel discussions will feature HRH Jacob Esan, Chief Executive Officer of Geo Fluids Plc, and Mr. Christian Udechukwu, Commissioner for Industrial Development in Anambra State, who will critically engage with the keynote address.
The event will also include the public presentation of a new publication titled Pathways to Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Transformation, edited by Dr. Echebiri.
The book compiles lectures from all editions of The Bullion Lecture series spanning 2016 to 2026.
Organisers say the gathering is expected to attract a wide cross-section of participants, including government officials, industry leaders, academics, banking and finance executives, energy stakeholders, manufacturers, maritime operators, ICT professionals, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of multilateral institutions, media practitioners, and members of the general public.