CUSTECH VC Urges Value Addition to Unlock Nigeria’s Industrial Potential at FUTMINNA 133rd Inaugural Lecture

The Vice-Chancellor of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Kogi State, Engr. Prof. Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu, has called for aggressive value addition to Nigeria’s mineral resources to boost local manufacturing, create jobs, and accelerate economic growth.

Prof. Salawu made the call on Thursday, August 13, 2026, while delivering the 133rd Inaugural Lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, FUTMINNA, at the University Auditorium, Main Campus.

Delivering a lecture titled "Nature to Nature: The Mirage of Materials Longevity," the Professor of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering in the School of Infrastructure, Process Engineering and Technology, SIPET, FUTMINNA, currently on leave of absence, examined the life cycle of materials from extraction and processing to deterioration through corrosion and environmental factors.

He identified materials and metallurgical engineers as critical drivers of Nigeria’s industrial transformation through the exploration, processing, and beneficiation of mineral resources for domestic use and export.

Prof. Salawu decried Nigeria’s continued reliance on exporting raw materials and importing finished products, describing the practice as a major impediment to industrial development and economic self-reliance.

He advocated for sustainable mineral processing, improved corrosion and wear testing, the development of advanced biomaterials, and stronger collaboration between universities and industry.