ATBU don calls for strategic use of resources to create Jobs

A renowned ceramics expert, Professor Abdullahi Adinoye Umar of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University ATBU, Bauchi, has raised concerns over the exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources by non-state actors, warning that the trend undermines national development.

Professor Umar made the observation while delivering the 46th Inaugural Lecture at the university’s Yelwa Campus.

The lecture was titled “A Disaggregated Approach to Ceramics Raw Materials Beneficiation and Its Socio-Economic Impacts in Nigeria.”

He stressed the need for the Federal Government to harness the country’s abundant mineral resources effectively, noting that proper utilization could generate up to seven million jobs.

The professor cautioned that failure to act decisively could allow criminal elements to continue exploiting the resources, a situation he said may further fuel insecurity, including insurgency and banditry.

According to him, strategic beneficiation of ceramic raw materials could boost industrial growth and reduce the nation’s dependence on external borrowing.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of ATBU, Professor Ibrahim Garba Hassan, commended Professor Umar for his scholarly contributions and reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to promoting academic excellence and research-driven development.