International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Technology (IJAERT) 304

Volume 4 Issue 10, October 2016, ISSN No.: 2348 8190

A Review on Ceramics and Its Economic Empowerment

Etukudoh Arit B., Akpomie K. G
Ceramics Research and Production Department (CRPD), Projects Development Institute (PRODA), Federal Ministry of
Science and Technology, Emene, Enugu, Nigeria.

Abstract keep its shape when it is dry. The heating up or firing of

Ceramics is very important in the development of the
economy of any nation. It is self reliance and can be
practiced in an unimaginable space with a lot of
opportunities and flexibilities. Great potentials exist in
the pottery and ceramics industry when it is given the
commitment it deserves. The youths are also empowered
to support the government efforts at alleviating poverty
by providing them with basic ceramics equipment.
Exportation of ceramic products to other countries can
help generate revenue for the economy.
1. Introduction
Mans distinguishing characteristic is that he is a maker.
He has always made things to meet his needs, and the
more he made the more various his needs became.
Ceramists are by the virtue of the profession meant to be
self-reliance. Art of ceramics could be practiced in an
unimaginable space, simply because there are lots of
opportunities and flexibilities in ceramics making, in
reality earning a living through ceramics production
needs most above all self-determination. Interestingly,
the art of making ceramic items is open to whoever
shows interest and determination. History had shown
that most known and successful ceramics studios in
Nigeria are owned by non-professional ceramists. These
means making and selling ceramics items can be a great
deal of fun for all. There is great potential in the pottery
and ceramics industry anywhere it is giving the
commitments it deserved. Youths are trained to support
the government efforts at alleviating poverty by
providing them with basic ceramics machinery and
equipment. Individuals with interest and determination
to earn living through ceramics production could as well
improvise these basic machinery and equipment [1].
2. Ceramics and economic empowerment
Clay is an extraordinarily versatile material, with a
capability to be shaped when it is soft and plastic and to
the clay causes irreversible changes in the material and
so for 7000m years or so, potters have been feeding clay
to the fire and producing a mass of expendable waste
and some of the greatest masterpieces of creative art.
The modern potter or potter student can find a
comfortable and appropriate interest somewhere in this
wide spectrum and according to his taste and
temperament gain increasing satisfaction with
experience. Luckily it is not necessary to start young as
with most professions and even more happily potters do
not get disadvantage as they get older. Most potters
agree that their work get better with years of experience.
Interestingly there is a means of information available to
the pottery learner, more books seem to be written each
year on the craft of pottery than any other popular theme
[2]. Though, public attitudes to pottery have changed
enormously in the last few years on, no thanks to the
increasing numbers of grounded ceramics industries.
Potters are more afraid to set up pottery studios, the few
courageous one are faced with the common problem of
sourcing machinery, equipment and processed raw
material for production. These potters put up with the
hard alternative of improvising ceramics machinery,
equipment and processed raw materials for production
but often times, these products had various set back. Not
to mention unequal standard to the imported ceramics
products, but the cheaper and readily available imported
one are in the open market.
3. Pottery Workshop
In most situations choosing the ideal workshop is not
possible, the workshop will need to be established in an
existing or converted building with some compromise
made. There are many examples of potters successfully
working from garden sheds, garages or a room within a
house, but care must be taken to avoid creating any
health and safety problems or breaking any town
planning laws. Though craft pottery is classified as a

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 International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Technology (IJAERT) 305
light industry, which is compatible with a residential
area. The amount of space needed will depend on the
type of pottery made and the methods used. Throwing
and hand building both demand different use of space;
one of the most important considerations is availability
of clay. Clay is available in all parts of the country and
this could be located and sourced. Clays are all naturally
occurring, but most of those prepared for the potter are
blended to give certain characteristics and to ensure
uniformity. Clays can be fine or course but these terms
have different meanings to the ceramist/studio potter.
As a potter your interest in clay should be plasticity (i.e
throwability), fire hardness, shrinkage, colour and
texture. All these features are inter-related, and clay
suppliers adjust the character of their clays by varying
the constituents [1, 2].
4. Sourcing Clay
The first instinct of the practical man in a new district or
country will be to set forth armed with pick and shored
to explore the local area. This is a good beginning, but it
should always be combined with the study of any
available published (or unpublished) literature on the
district especially on the local geology and industries
and with meeting local people if there are clays to be
found at all, it is practically certain that they have
already been found, and used by somebody for some
purpose. Valuable information can usually be got from
people whose work involve making holes in the ground,
well sinkers, builders, makers of roads, dams, drains,
water mains and even ordinary ditches not forgetting
gardener and farmers, who are always interested in their
soils and subsoils [3].
5. Raising Capital
In order to start up in business, whether it be making and
selling ceramics or potter items or anything else. Sheer
talent is not enough. You are going to need money,
regardless of what you may have thought to the contrary.
You do not need a small money to start up a business. It
is possible to start with sixty thousand Naira (N60,000)
or less and whereas there is no great merit in being over-
capitalized. Most business borrows money from the bank
or at the very least has an overdraft facility agreed with
their bank manager against the day when they will need
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Volume 4 Issue 10, October 2016, ISSN No.: 2348 8190
to borrow. The time to approach your bank manager
with regard to the financial services, he can offer you is
when your plans are beginning to take definite shape. At
this state you will need to prepare a serious presentation
of your scheme (proposal) as you are making your first
independent business venture you will not be able to
provide a frank record of commercial achievement to
prove you are a good financial risk. This will put you at
a slight disadvantage and much will depend on the
impression your presentation creates in the mind of the
bank manager. Alternatively the amount of start up
capital you will need will probably be relatively modest
by normal pottery studio standards. I would guess not
more than three hundred thousand Naira (N300,000) and
more likely in the region of Fifty thousand Naira
(N50,000). You could find out if there is anyone among
your family or friend who would be prepared to back
you financially. If you do manage to find a private
backer, regardless of how close a relative or how good a
friend, you must go to a solicitor and get a written
agreement drawn up, detailing the period of the loan, the
agreed rate of interest and anything else that might at
some time in future be grounds for disagreement
between you and your banker. Apart from the general
lending opportunity, there are many different types of
more specific schemes available to the craft person who
wishes to set up a new business. There are setting up
grants and various loans offered by several agencies, and
though your chances of getting your hand on them may
be limited, it is always worthwhile applying just in case
you happen to strike luck. Various state governments
poverty alleviation schemes offer loans to their
indigenes. Federal government schemes for example
industrial development centre (IDC), SMEDA and
SMEEIS do assist too. But dont despair if you fail to
qualify for any other above goodies. The vast majority
of people dont get a kobo from the institutions. Other
than by obtaining grants, if I had to come down in
favours of just one form of financing new pottery studios
I would opt for the least adventurous method possible,
slow organic growth. In other words, start with as much
as you can afford or if you have an overdraft, borrow as
little as you need and slowly build up the business
without overstretching your resources. When you
purchase goods, utilize the credit period to its maximum,
 International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Technology (IJAERT) 306
and when you buy equipment makes sure it will recoup
its cost quickly. Without being too faddy about it, try to
manage your finances carefully and within about two
years you should have a healthy little pottery studio [1,
4].
6. Building a Kiln
These essential pieces of equipment need to be carefully
selected. The performance and specifications of a kiln
will apply many constraints on the potters work, as no
kiln is capable of the complete range of firing available.
Firstly choose your fuel type, the less expensive fuel
type will be appropriate for a start often a good source of
cheap fuel will encourage inventiveness, and potters
have developed such a sawdust, waste oil, and heavy
fuel oil. Second hand insulation and firebricks are often
available for kiln building if you are prepared to search
them out. Bricks can be made by hand if good source of
raw materials is available, firebricks that are to be used
on the hot face will need a suitable fireclay. Hot face
insulation can be made from a mixture of china clay and
sawdust in equal part, with enough water added to make
still mix and pressed into wooden moulds. The bricks are
dried and fired slowly to 1000oC drying which the
sawdust burnout, leaving a porous brick which is about
15% smaller, through shrinkage, than original. Building
your kiln is less expensive to buying one; it allows you
to tailor the structure to your own needs, allowing you to
develop the technology most suitable for the production
of particular types of work [1,3, 4].
7. From the Potters desk
There are few existing pottery studio in Lagos, but one
of the existing and successful potters in the Lagos
metropolis is Mr. Ayoola Ibukun Oluwa of Sweat Art
Nig. Ltd., popularly known as IBK. Sweat Art Nig.
Ltd. is at No 50 Adegbola Street Anifowoshe Ikeja
Lagos. Mr. Ayoola has been in pottery making business
since July 1985. This artist was selected for interview
due to his individual efforts at surviving as a potter,
making his equipments locally with 80% local materials
and motor vehicle scraps. He made his wood-firing kiln
with 100% local material. According to Mr. Ayoola a
ceramist graduate has no business being poor. His skill
is enough to earn him living without diversifying to
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Volume 4 Issue 10, October 2016, ISSN No.: 2348 8190
other fields. Earning a living through pottery or
ceramics requires determination, hard work and
patience, you dont need to be afraid of mistakes but
make sense out every mistake you made [5]. There are
few challenges one of which is a space that is not in
anybodys way. With a minimum of fifty thousand naira
(N50,000.00), manual wheel and a sizeable barrel kiln
could be constructed and a tipper load of clay for a start.
According to Ayoola, to construct a sizeable barrel kiln,
you will need the following:
40 pieces of insulating bricks
Cost of production per brick is N200 = N8,000
A bag of kaolin to set the brick = N600
Miscellaneous = N3,400
Total = N15,000.00
8. Sales
As a fresher in the pottery business, you cannot be sure
of the public taste. All you need to do is to make
varieties for examine, flower planters for churches and
offices, ornamental pots for decoration, tableware,
flower cases, wall vases, candle stands, oil lamps, etc.
Few tips
Make an open firing for your refractory bricks to
save money
Study books and pictures for right pottery shapes
Let your work be well fired and well finished
Be a good marketer
Attend and exhibit at conferences, exhibitions
and international trade fair
9. Conclusions
Governments at federal, states and local levels have
started appreciating the importance of ceramics as a
means of poverty alleviation and national economic
empowerment. In June 2006, the federal government of
Nigeria through the ministry of industry engaged the
service of Heritage Ceramics (Nig) Ltd., at equipping the
industrial development centres starting with IDC
Abuja, Taraba, Bauchi, Kogi and Osun States
government made similar stride at encouraging youth to
earn living through ceramics production with provision
of ceramics machinery, equipment, tools, raw materials
and glazes. There is range of option at Heritage
 International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Technology (IJAERT) 307
Volume 4 Issue 10, October 2016, ISSN No.: 2348 8190

Ceramics (Nig.) Ltd., for a determined person, [5] Omotoyinbo J. A and Oluwole O. O. (2008).
professionals and non-professionals alike. The new and Working properties of some selected refractory clay
sophisticated machinery are considered expensive and
deposits in south western Nigeria. J. Miner. Mater.
perhaps above the reach of common man.
But there is always a way out for the determined potter, Characterizat. Eng. 11:1050-1054
the second hand equipment is equally efficient and less
expensive which are made available at demand. If you
cannot afford second hand kiln which are most time half
the price of a new one, you can equally get the insulation
bricks, ceramics fibre, kiln element and other accessories
for your own home made kiln. HC (Nig) Ltd also
rendered technical assistance and after sales services.
International journals on ceramics, books and magazine
are accessible for research work and project guidance.
Whatever the case, a serious and determined ceramist
will always have his way at HC (Nig) Ltd., as they are
prepared with necessary machinery and equipment for
the local processing of Nigeria vast raw materials
deposits, thereby making ceramics raw materials cheaper
and readily available at all time for the craft potters.

References

[1] Abuh M. A, Abia-Bassey N, Udeinya T. C,

Nwannewuihe H. U, Abong A. A and Akpomie K. G.
(2014). Industrial potentials of adiabo clay in calabar
municipal of cross river state, south south Nigeria.
Pacific. J. Sci. Technol 15(1): 63-75.

[2] Onwuachi-Iheagwara P. N. (2012). Investigations

into the use of local clays in drilling operations. J. Eng.
Appl. Sci. 4: 21-29.

[3] Chester J. H. (1973). Refractory, production and

properties, iron and steel institute, London. Pp 4.

[4] Grimshow R.W. (1971). The chemistry and physics

of clay and Alhed ceramics materials, 4th Edition,
Revised, New York: wiley in conscience. P.15.

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