Journal de la métallurgie des poudres et des mines

Abstrait

Harnessing Local Raw Materials for Engineering and Technological Development in Nigeria

Ocheri C*, Ajani OO, Daniel A and Agbo N

It has been said that no meaningful industrialisation can take place in a nation without Iron and Steel. In fact, the Iron and Steel is the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialisation and ultimate factor in the realisation of our industrialisation efforts. Most of the Steel industries have been constructed and erected and they have to go into full operation in view of the huge money already sunk into these projects and the relative irreversibility of investment. Harnessing the local raw materials for engineering and technological development in Nigeria. The development of the economy could therefore be vibrating if the available local raw materials are harnessed. Metallurgical Research and Development are have been carried out which have assisted the industry to discover the use of locally sourced raw materials for the operation of these industries. Apparently, most of the imported raw materials are expensive and sometime difficult to import them due to bureaucratic process and challenges faced at this present stage of steel development in Nigeria. The need for sustained availability of the raw materials for these steel industries calls for drastic reduction in the imported raw materials and this paper will therefore focus on availability of local raw materials which could be harnessed and translate to engineering and technological development in Nigeria. The paper further highlights the local raw materials needed for steel industry; processes for metallurgical coke and of refractory clay were reviewed. Local deposits of these materials were mentioned. The future of metallurgical research and development were brought to the fore and finally some suggestions and recommendations were given which will assist Government, stakeholders and those that are involved in the practice of steel operations and other engineering processes but with emphasis to the steel industries.