Prof. Sunny Eromosele, Chancellor of Mudiame University, has announced plans to establish a pilot ceramic factory in Nigeria within the next six months as part of a partnership with leading Italian technology organisations. The partnership aims to support teaching, equipment development, manpower training, and technology transfer in the country's ceramic industry. Eromosele disclosed this after attending TECNA 2026, the international exhibition for the ceramic and surface industry held in Rimini, Italy.
According to Eromosele, Nigeria's biggest challenge in developing its ceramic industry 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.
Mudiame University has secured collaborations with between five and seven Italian organisations, including the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery and Equipment for Ceramics, System Ceramics, and Gabbrielli Technology. The university's ceramic engineering programme has received approval from the Nigerian University Commission (NUC). Eromosele said the proposed pilot factory would give students practical industrial experience, bridging Nigeria's skills gap and providing first-hand experience operating and designing ceramic technology.
The yearly import of ceramics into Nigeria is projected at $2.5 billion, which Eromosele believes can be reversed by building local expertise in ceramic engineering. He argued that strengthening local engineering capacity could support broader industrialisation, including metallurgy, construction materials, and advanced manufacturing. Ceramic engineering could contribute to reducing Nigeria's housing costs by expanding brick production using laterite, allowing cement to be prioritised for roads and other critical infrastructure.
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 also emphasised that the objective of the partnerships is to adapt foreign technology for Nigerian conditions while gradually developing indigenous solutions. The collaborations involve companies specialising in large-scale ceramic production lines, materials processing, grinding technology, and production automation.
Responding to concerns about the collapse of previous ceramic manufacturers in Nigeria, Eromosele attributed their struggles to weak research support, inadequate local technical capacity, and limited innovation ecosystems. He maintained that sustained collaboration between universities and industry could improve business resilience by providing continuous research, machinery development, product innovation, and skilled manpower. Building domestic technical expertise would also reduce capital flight by limiting Nigeria's dependence on foreign specialists, overseas testing services, and imported industrial technology.
The university expects the pilot facility to become operational within five to six months, while academic training could commence immediately under the approved programme. Eromosele said the initiative is a deliberate effort to bridge Nigeria's skills gap and create employment opportunities for young Nigerians. The partnerships emerging from TECNA 2026 extend beyond importing machinery, with the objective of adapting foreign technology for Nigerian conditions while gradually developing indigenous solutions.
Key points
- Nigeria partners with Italy to develop ceramic industry and reduce capital flight.
- The partnership aims to create jobs and boost local expertise in ceramic engineering.
- The initiative could contribute to reducing Nigeria's housing costs and supporting broader industrialisation.
