Chancellor of Mudiame University and Chairman of Mudiame International Group, Prof. Sunny Eromosele, has said Nigeria could unlock billions of naira in economic value and create thousands of jobs by building local expertise in ceramic engineering instead of relying on imported technology and foreign manufacturers. 

Speaking at the weekend after attending TECNA 2026, the international exhibition for the ceramic and surface industry held in Rimini, Italy, Eromosele said the country’s biggest challenge is not the absence of raw materials, but the shortage of technical knowledge, research institutions and skilled manpower needed to develop the industry.

He disclosed that Mudiame University, whose ceramic engineering programme has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC), plans to establish a pilot ceramic factory within the next six months as part of a partnership with leading Italian technology organisations.

According to him, the 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, to support teaching, equipment development, manpower training and technology transfer.

He said:  “The first thing is knowledge. We have not even started from the basics of identifying the institutions that should focus on mining and ceramics.

“We have the market and the raw materials, but we lack competency in technology, manpower and equipment.”

Nigeria possesses abundant deposits of clay, silica and other industrial minerals across the North, Middle Belt and Southern states, yet much of the domestic market for ceramic products, including sanitary ware, tiles and marble, is dominated by imported products and foreign manufacturers.