Mudiame University, in collaboration with leading Italian technology organisations, is set to establish a pilot ceramic factory within the next six months. The university's Chancellor, Prof. Sunny Eromosele, disclosed this after attending TECNA 2026, an international exhibition for the ceramic and surface industry held in Rimini, Italy. The partnership aims to support teaching, equipment development, manpower training, and technology transfer in Nigeria's ceramics sector.
According to Prof. Eromosele, Nigeria's biggest challenge in the ceramics sector is not the absence of raw materials but the shortage of technical knowledge, research institutions, and skilled manpower. The country possesses abundant deposits of clay, silica, and other industrial minerals, but much of the domestic market for ceramic products is dominated by imported products and foreign-owned manufacturers. Eromosele argued that sustained investment in specialised institutions, technical education, and equipment manufacturing can transform mineral resources into globally competitive industries.
The proposed pilot factory will give students practical industrial experience, bridging Nigeria's skills gap in the ceramics sector. The university plans to launch short professional courses alongside undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to accelerate skills development. This initiative aims to address the lack of practical knowledge in most programmes, providing students with first-hand experience operating and designing ceramic technology.
Prof. Eromosele emphasised that building local expertise in ceramic engineering can contribute to reducing Nigeria's housing costs by expanding brick production using laterite. This can allow cement to be prioritised for roads and other critical infrastructure. The same technology can also support the production of sanitary products, building materials, hospital infrastructure, and components used in high-performance manufacturing.
The partnerships with Italian firms involve companies specialising in large-scale ceramic production lines, materials processing, grinding technology, and production automation. Some of these companies offer intermediate technologies before full robotic manufacturing. The university expects the pilot facility to become operational within five to six months, while academic training could commence immediately under the approved programme.
Prof. Eromosele called on federal and state governments to support institutions developing specialised industrial knowledge, arguing that states should leverage their mineral resources instead of depending predominantly on federal allocations. He attributed the collapse of previous ceramic manufacturers in Nigeria to weak research support, inadequate local technical capacity, and limited innovation ecosystems.
The development of Nigeria's ceramics sector is expected to create thousands of jobs and unlock billions of naira in economic value. By building domestic technical expertise, Nigeria can reduce capital flight by limiting its dependence on foreign specialists, overseas testing services, and imported industrial technology, while creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
Key points
- Mudiame University partners with Italian firms to establish a pilot ceramic factory in Nigeria.
- The partnership aims to develop local expertise in ceramic engineering and reduce importation.
- The project is expected to create jobs and unlock economic value in Nigeria's ceramics sector.
