The Federal Government says it will revive all moribund pottery centres across the country to reduce importation of kitchen utensils.
Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Mines and Steel Development disclosed this in Makurdi on Friday during a visit to Dajo Pottery International as part of his nation-wide tour.
He said it had become imperative to revive the potteries in order to commence production of kitchen and home utensils, such as mugs, plates, spoons and flower vases, among others.
Pottery is the craft of making ceramic material into pots, plates, mugs, spoons and others with clay.
He said the standard and quality of pottery in the company would be replicated across the country, adding that the company’s products were far better than imported kitchenwares from China.
“I am impressed with the quality of kitchen and home utensils that the company is producing from clay; this is adding value to the mining industry.
“Many pottery centres in Nigeria are no longer functioning; we need to revive them to reduce importation of home utensils because I believe our pottery companies can produce high quality products”, he said.
Fayemi urged the company’s proprietor to increase its production to industrial level to attract support from government and foreign investors.
Mr Levi Yakubu, President of Dajo Pottery Company said the state had abundant and richer clay than the China clay used to produce kitchen utensils patronised by Nigerians.
Yakubu said that the company, in 2007, represented Nigeria in China as the first African ceramic enterprise to attend the ceramics fiesta at which it won a golden excellence award.
“The Chinese, surprised that Nigeria won the award, requested clinical analyses of the Nigerian clay products from their National laboratory.
“The result confirmed that Nigeria’s clay is unique and different from the Chinese clay which dominates the World market”, he said.
Yakubu also noted that the mining sector had great potential to boost the country’s economy than agriculture and urged the ministry to support the project to reduce ceramics importation.
Fayemi and the minister of state of the ministry are on a nationwide tour to all mine sites to build stakeholders’ confidence, get feedback from them, identify challenges and proffer solutions.
The ministers have, so far, visited Kaduna, Lagos, Ogun, Nasarawa and Benue states. (NAN)