An evaluation of the suitability of ceramic raw materials in kebbi state for the production of tableware for small scale industry

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><p>INTRODUCTION<br>Industrial development is the keyword used to assess, evaluate and<br>measure the living standards of people of a particular country. Probably,<br>no nation or society can easily survive the prevailing hard and hash<br>economic climate without proper strategies and planning for its industrial<br>takeoff. The persistent economic recessions are sometimes attributed to<br>the low level of industrialization.<br>Ibrahim (2002) confirmed that the Federal Government of Nigeria is<br>doing everything within its powers to “strengthen and energize the<br>economy by promoting industrial development especially the small scale<br>sector.” Already the government has made effort towards stimulating the<br>Industrial growth by establishing the Federal Ministry of Industries and<br>Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. Established for a similar<br>purpose are the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Raw Materials<br>Research and Development Council (RMRDC), and Industrial<br>Development Centres located in different parts of the country. Others are<br>Project Development Agency (PRODA) Enugu, Federal Institute of<br>Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) Lagos and other relevant agencies.<br>In another perspective, the central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has<br>created Small and Medium Industries Equity scheme (SMIES) as part of<br>2<br>the banking industry’s contribution to the industrial development of Nigeria.<br>The scheme requires all commercial banks to set aside 10 percent of their<br>profit before tax for small and medium scale industries development. In the<br>year, 2003, the Federal Government has established the Small and<br>Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDA) to promote and<br>facilitate the development programme in the small and medium enterprises<br>sub-sector of the nation’s economy.<br>Seemingly, all these steps and actions taken by the government are<br>to ensure the smooth promotion of the small-scale industries for the simple<br>reason that they play significant and tremendous role in the economic<br>growth of Nigeria. Ibrahim (2002) described small-scale industries as<br>catalysts to the economic and industrial development of any nation.<br>It is pertinent at this point to note that nations like USA, Britain,<br>France, China, Japan became industrialized sequel to the development of<br>small scale industries. The newly industrialized countries like Pakistan,<br>Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa and the likes attained their present<br>economic and industrial growth as a result of the activities of the smallscale<br>industries. Similarly, Randali (2003) revealed that over the years,<br>different regimes in Nigeria have created policies that are designed to<br>promote small-scale enterprises.<br>Mabawonku (1977) pointed out that small-scale industries could<br>reduce rural urban migration and poverty. To this end, they enhance<br>3<br>employment opportunities and encourage the use of locally sourced raw<br>materials. Also these industries accelerate the improvement of national<br>income better than the intensive large-scale sector. Ahuwan (1987)<br>confirmed that, small-scale industries can be reliable source of creating<br>employment to the ever increasing youths.<br>Essentially, industrial development of a nation could likely be<br>realized with effective and efficient utilization of the available natural<br>resources’. Indeed ceramic industries are the type of enterprises that<br>require the use of such natural resources like kaolin, quartz, feldspar and<br>limestone. Klien (2001) revealed that the main ingredients or components<br>used in the ceramic industries are kaolin, clay, talc, felspar, quartz,<br>limestone, dolomite and the likes. It is clear that one form of ceramic<br>product or the other is being used to serve human needs. For example,<br>Oliver (1997) explained that ceramic meets the need of almost every<br>community in the area of cooking, storage, preservation and construction.<br>Apart from its essential utility at home, builders employed structural<br>ceramic products such as bricks and tiles for execution of projects.<br>Interestingly, electrical engineers depend greatly on ceramic products such<br>as electrical insulators and sockets for their jobs. Based on this account,<br>industrial development as the basis for meaningful economic growth can<br>be promoted in Kebbi State by the establishment of industries especially<br>4<br>for small-scale sector. However, to accomplish effective industrial take off,<br>the presence of raw materials is of supreme importance.<br>Kebbi state is said to have been endowed with abundant natural<br>resources. Suraj (2004) disclosed that Kebbi has a fair share of the<br>Nigeria’s known natural resources. The state has vast raw materials<br>resources. In fact the size of the state, its strategic location and position in<br>the country places it at a great advantage. Perhaps the most vital of these<br>endowments as far as industrialization is concerned is the availability of<br>raw materials in various parts of the state. Suraj (2004) further stated that<br>there are records confirming the occurrence of variety of minerals in<br>commercial quantities in Kebbi State. They include kaolin, refractory clay,<br>gold, limestone, talc, phosphates, granite, marble and feldspar.<br>For this reason, the setting up of ceramic small-scale industries<br>might be possible in Kebbi State because of the availability of the raw<br>materials. Kebbi State may attain gradual industrial development if<br>emphasis is laid on small-scale sector. Umar (2000) found out that;<br>In the field of solid minerals resources, the state is well<br>blessed with a lot of deposits, which have either been<br>identified or expected to be present because of the geophysical<br>nature of our land. Such deposits are kaolin,<br>gold, limestone, iron-ore, bauxite, clays, salt, potash,<br>manganese, silica sand, mica and feldspar to mention<br>just a few of the endowments. These resources when<br>fully exploited will give Kebbi State a place of pride in<br>the nation’s economic system.<br>5<br>However, it is distressing to note that Kebbi State has no single<br>functional ceramic industry despite the abundant raw material deposits in<br>the state. Suraj (2004) observed that, Kebbi State remains among the least<br>industrially developed states in the federation, even though it has been<br>blessed with abundant mineral resources.<br>Against this background, the researcher is motivated to undertake a study<br>on the Evaluation of the Suitability of Ceramic Raw Materials in Kebbi<br>State for the Production of Tableware for to Small-Scale Industry.<br>1.1 Statement of the Problem<br>The problem of this study is the unidentification, unevaluation and<br>unutilization of ceramic raw materials in Kebbi State into suitable products<br>of porcelain as tableware.<br>1.2 Aim and Objectives<br>The aim of this study is to critically examine some of the selected<br>ceramic raw materials in Kebbi State and to evaluate their suitability for the<br>production of tableware for small scale industry.<br>The objectives of the study are as follows:<br>1. To identify the locations of ceramic raw materials in Kebbi State.<br>2. To identify through experiments the suitability of some of the<br>selected ceramic raw materials.<br>6<br>3. To formulate good working porcelain body for the production of<br>tableware.<br>1.3 Research Questions<br>1. What are the types of ceramic raw materials found in Kebbi<br>State?<br>2. What is the adequacy of the raw material found in Kebbi State for<br>ceramic Small-Scale Industry?<br>3. What are the Chemical and physical properties of the ceramic<br>raw materials found from different locations in Kebbi State?<br>4. What is the role of ball clay in enhancing the plastic state of the<br>slip produced from the ceramic raw materials found in Kebbi<br>State for casting?<br>5. Could the slip produced from the ceramic raw materials found in<br>Kebbi state be suitable for casting without the addition of<br>deflocculants?<br>6. Could the ceramic raw materials found in Kebbi State be used to<br>formulate glaze recipes for the study?<br>1.4 Basic Assumptions<br>The research is based on the following assumptions:<br>7<br>1. That raw materials identified would be suitable for ceramic<br>production;<br>2. That adequate facilities to process the raw materials would be<br>available;<br>3. That Information obtained from respondents and geological<br>documents would facilitate identification of locations of the raw<br>materials;.<br>4. That there would be availability of facilities to conduct tests.<br>5. That the finished products would or would not display all the<br>characteristics of porcelains, particularly, translucency.<br>1.5 Limitation<br>1. There was lack of adequate facilities to process raw materials<br>in the Department of Industrial Design, Ahmadu Bello<br>University, Zaria. The study made contact with relevant<br>agencies and organizations where facilities were available for<br>the processing and testing of materials;<br>2. Consequent to the insufficient knowledge concerning the<br>locations of ceramic materials, the study treated information<br>obtained from geological documents and other respondents;<br>8<br>3. Only slip casting technique was used as shaping method for<br>the production of sample tableware (simple shape only) for<br>this study.<br>1.6 Delimitation<br>Kebbi State as earlier explained is naturally well endowed with<br>various and varied mineral resources. However, the study is delimited<br>both in scope and materials significantly to Kebbi State kaolin, quartz,<br>feldspar and limestone.<br>1.7 Justification for the Study<br>Ceramic is one of the first useful arts to be developed by man. It has<br>essentially maintained its usefulness Ahuwan (1987) revealed that ceramic<br>besides its tradition of practice still meets the daily needs of every<br>community or society. For example, people seek for the services of<br>ceramic products for cooking, storage as well as for aesthetic values.<br>Ceramics in the contemporary scene provides wide range of services.<br>Sullayman (1997) disclosed that there has been an increasing<br>demand for ceramic wares throughout West African sub-region particularly<br>in Nigeria. He re-iterated that the growing demand of ceramics in the<br>modern world, has covered the field of “architectural, sanitary, electrical<br>9<br>and even electronic”. For instance, in architecture and construction,<br>ceramic provides bricks, tiles and other structural clay products. Sanitary<br>wares of all sorts are enhanced and in electrical work ceramic provides<br>electrical insulators, sockets and other elements used in electrical<br>services.<br>On the other hand, ceramic contributes in the automobile industry by<br>providing spark plugs and cylindrical pipes for transporting water, sewage<br>wastes and other liquids. The use of ceramic products are numerous. Thus<br>the importance of ceramic in the industrialization of any nation cannot be<br>over-stressed.<br>Opoku (2003) opined that the development of raw materials has an<br>enormous role in the socio-economic life of the people of any nation. He<br>further emphasized that its development as a sub-sector of the economy<br>helps to advance the industrial growth and self-reliance through the<br>effective use of the local raw materials as inputs for the industries. Raw<br>materials that exist in Kebbi State are part of the wealth possession of the<br>people of Kebbi State and the country in general. In this connection, the<br>exploitation and utilization of the mineral resources are essential in the<br>improvement of the standard of living of some people of the state.<br>Similarly, clarion calls and campaigns on the importance of selfreliance<br>and industrialization have been vigorously pursued by the federal,<br>10<br>state and local governments. Alkali (2003) in support of the above<br>assertion stated that the problem of unemployment and poverty forced the<br>Federal Government to establish the National Directorate of Employment<br>(NDE) in 1986.<br>According to him, the organ is charged with the responsibility of<br>mapping out strategies to curb the menace of unemployment in the<br>country. Amongst the objectives of the National Directorate of Employment<br>is the need to develop and groom young entrepreneurs who are properly<br>equipped with technical and managerial skills to successful start and<br>manage enterprises such as small-scale industries.<br>When industries are put in place, employment opportunities will be<br>created for our teeming youths. As a result of this, the vital role of<br>industrialization will be inculcated in the minds of entrepreneurs. By<br>extension, it may encourage the entrepreneurs establish more industries in<br>their respective localities. Thus, eventually reduce rural urban migration.<br>Therefore, the need for research on the Evaluation of the Suitability<br>of Ceramic Raw Materials in Kebbi State for the Production of Tableware<br>for Small-Scale Industry is not only relevant at this time of industrialization<br>drive but quite significant in the development of ceramic in the country.<br>Furthermore, it is expected that the outcome of this study will contribute<br>towards the industrial and economic growth of Kebbi state. In addition, the<br>11<br>study is also expected to contribute meaningfully to the development of<br>ceramic literature in any higher institution of learning and research<br>institutes.<br>Finally, it is hoped that the study will offer useful suggestions to<br>manufacturers, entrepreneurs, investors and interested persons or<br>organizations about ceramic raw materials in Kebbi State.<br>12</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <br><p></p>