Stakeholders seek domestic investment to curb $2.1bn ceramic import

Stakeholders in Nigeria's ceramic industry are urging for greater domestic investment and policy backing to curb a significant reliance on imports. The sector is projected to import $2.1 billion worth of ceramics in 2026, highlighting a critical need to bolster local production.

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The opportunities before us are enormous, and the responsibility to seize them belongs to all of us. The transformation of Nigeria’s ceramic industry cannot be achieved by any single stakeholder. It requires the collective efforts of government, industry, academia, financial institutions, development partners, investors, technology providers, entrepreneurs and civil society.

At the Nigeria Ceramic Investment Summit and Product Exhibition 2026, industry leaders, investors, and researchers convened to identify pathways for growth across the ceramic value chain. Professor Eguakhide Patrick Oaikhinan, the summit's convener, stressed that Nigeria possesses vast untapped potential in ceramics but requires deliberate actions to realize its economic value.

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It is important to place on record our disappointment that despite the strategic importance of this sector to Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council were unable to participate in this landmark gathering.

Oaikhinan stated that transforming the industry necessitates collective effort from government, industry, academia, financial institutions, and development partners. He expressed optimism that enhanced public-private collaboration would accelerate industry development and position it as a key contributor to Nigeria's economic diversification. However, he also voiced disappointment over the absence of key government institutions, including ministries for solid minerals, industry, trade, investment, and export promotion, underscoring the need for their greater engagement.

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Their absence is particularly regrettable given the critical role these institutions play in mineral resource development, industrial policy, export promotion, research and development, value addition and the advancement of local manufacturing.