Stakeholders partner to spike $600m ceramics industry

Nigeria’s ceramics industry has received a boost as Epina Technologies finalises a partnership with the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, to boost sector and the country’s industrial development.
The partnership involved signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the FIIRO headquarters in Lagos last Tuesday.
This is expected to steer ceramics production in the country to increase participation of domestic manufacturers in the $600 million local ceramics market, characterised by export from China and other Asian countries. This will create hundreds of jobs and save the country’s depleting reserves.
Patrick Oaikhinan, CEO, Epina, said the collaboration would help realise the country’s industrialisation dream sooner than expected.
“Our challenge is to improve the domestic manufacturing business/trade so that we can attract investment, provide employment as well as facilitate technology transfer and skills building,”  Oaikhinan, who is the only ceramics professor in the country, said.
“At Epina, we are aware that improving domestic trade and attracting investment in the ceramics industry is a major issue for nearly all, including the government. Acting together with FIIRO, we are certain that the result towards which we aspired will be achieved, that is, the development of value-chain drivers in order to engender inclusive growth and aid job creation in Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, given the current economic vagaries, businesses in the country must brace up for diversification and collaboration.
“With this, Epina and FIIRO will be more than ready to support the government in the expansion of the economy through industrial production by adding value to raw materials, developing high quality human resource, as well as promoting regional and international trade in manufacturing business, particularly in ceramics manufacturing business,” he added. 
Gloria Elemo, director-general/CEO, FIIRO, said the coming together of the two establishments would lead to identification of key sectors and areas of collaboration.
Elemo said the institute has developed over 250 technologies ready for take-up by micro, small and medium scale businesses, providing the springboard for entrepreneurship development and empowerment revolution across the country.
“We have a technology with which to make ‘Kunu’ stay up to one year, even though ‘Kunu’ naturally stays between six and 12 hours. ‘Kunu’ has a huge export potential. We have made several breakthroughs which include research and development (R&D) on sorghum malt to reduce barley malt for beer brewing, and R&D on soya beans to reduce the importation of infant weaning food,” she said.
 
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