ASHENEWS reports that a professor of Metallurgical and Minerals Engineering at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), John Ade Ajayi has lamented that Nigeria has been unable to utilize its abundant mineral resources to create sustainable wealth and drive real development that impacts the people.
He made the submission while delivering the 146th Inaugural lecture of the institution with the title: “Rich Nation, Poor People! The king of Metals as Paradigm: Quo Vadis Nigeria?” on the 10th of January 2023.
According to Ajayi, although Nigeria is blessed with a lot of non-ferrous minerals including copper ores capable of contributing immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, the abundant mineral resources are capable of making Nigeria an industrialized nation, have not been explored to there is hardly any serious actual mining
“There is no single functional and sustainable mine, mill, or metal extraction plant in Nigeria. The National Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe, Mine, and Mill are not really operational for now.
“The only tin smelting plant in Nigeria, Makeri Smelting Company, Jos has gone into the dustbin of history. What is prevalent is artisanal mining and ‘processing’ and quarrying.“
He described the operations of artisanal miners as, “Unscientific, untechnical, uneconomical, unsafe, unhealthy and environmentally unfriendly.”
Professor Ajayi said there was an urgent need for government to lead the drive to chart a new direction for sustainable mineral resources development that will engender economic prosperity in Nigeria through correct policies.
He said the economic development of any nation depends considerably on its level of industrial development and this in turn depends invariably on the level of mineral exploration and manufacturing activities in the national economy.
Ajayi said a concerted effort must thus be taken to revive industries and set factories working through the minerals and metals value chains in Nigeria to improve the quality of life of its people.
He said the importance of iron and steel production in a national economy like Nigeria cannot be overemphasized as it is presently recognized that a nation that controls iron and steel controls the world.
Ajayi recommended that a Council for the Nigerian Institution of Mining and Metallurgy (CNIMM) is put in place in accordance with international best practices to see to the sustainable production of non-ferrous metals required for the production of ferroalloys and different types of alloys.
Ajayi, Nigeria’s first professor of metallurgical and minerals engineering, said in order to be able to sustainably produce mineral and metal products for the use of the society, the Nigerian mining, minerals, and metals (3M) industries should have viable linkages with academic institutions and research institutes.
He said the 3M industries are to produce goods and services for society thereby generating employment, creating wealth, and engendering national economic development.
The Don called for a clearly convergent point between inventors and investments in Nigeria such as science and technology parks for startups.
He recommended that FUTA as the best university of technology in Nigeria should be declared a centre of excellence in Mining engineering, mineral processing technology, and extractive metallurgical engineering.
According to him, there is a need to transform Nigerian universities from the present intellectual amnesia to the intellectual revolution.
Ade Ajayi advised that competence enhancement and training should become the hallmark of those driving the country’s policies saying, “The funds used for junketing and seeking international investors can be used for training and research. For national interest, we must reorder our priorities.”
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, in her address said Professor Ade Ajayi has been a consistently productive scholar, a metallurgical engineering expert, and an educational manager per excellence. She said Professor Ajayi had contributed significantly to knowledge in his chosen area of Metallurgical and minerals engineering.
