₦airaland Forum

Raydos:
Driven by my usual adventurous streak, I headed out today to explore an old, abandoned ceramic factory near my place. I first learned about it from a local elderly woman, who told me it opened back in 1974 (exactly 52 years ago) and that her husband used to work there in the 80's

She shared a bunch of stories about how lively the place used to be, bustling with all kinds of people earning a living before it finally shut its doors around 2007.

Listening to her gave me this irresistible urge to sneak inside. I just had to explore it and get a firsthand sense of what it felt like when the machines were running, how the employees worked, and what their daily lives were like.

I bet it primarily shutdown due to importation of cheaper products from China into Nigeria market among other reasons.

It's actually the Northerners that messed everything up

Starboytwo:
Nowadays, I’m starting to really despise being a Nigerian. Based on what could have been??

No visionary leader at all.
Just tribal warlords, chop I chop elites.

We have so many iron condemn guys on this site.. watch as they empty that place soonest

SixSeven:
Exactly what came to my mind. I am just surprised by the OP saying the 1993 person is that old


Nigergrob Ceramics Limited was a notable ceramic manufacturing industry located in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Established in the 1980s, the company became the subject of major Nigerian corporate and legal cases, including a landmark receivership case (U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd) regarding the extent of receiver and director powers. Financial distress and that litigation eventually led to its closure, turning it into a textbook legal authority for Nigerian corporate insolvency frameworks under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).



Story of their death:
In the early 1980s, Nigeria was trying hard to build up its local industries. A company called Nigergrob Ceramics built a big factory in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Their plan was to make floor tiles, wall tiles, and bathroom sinks locally because the construction business was booming. To buy all their heavy machinery and set up the factory, they borrowed a huge amount of money from United Bank for Africa. The bank managed this loan through U.B.A. Trustees Limited. As security for the loan, Nigergrob signed a contract that gave the bank the right to seize the factory and all its equipment if they failed to pay the money back.


Everything started well, but the late 1980s and 1990s brought tough economic times. The national power grid became very unreliable. Ceramic factories need their ovens to run constantly, so Nigergrob had to spend a lot of money on diesel generators. At the same time, the cost of raw materials went up, and they could not find local technicians to fix their complex machines. Production stopped, and the company completely ran out of money. Since Nigergrob could not pay back its debt, U.B.A. Trustees stepped in, locked the factory gates, and hired a legal manager called a receiver to take over everything and sell it off to get the bank's money back.


The original owners and directors of Nigergrob refused to leave quietly. They took the bank to court, arguing that the bank had no right to strip them of their authority. This became a famous legal battle called U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd. The case went all the way to the Court of Appeal. The judges finally ruled that when a bank takes over a broke company, the bank's manager gets full control of the business and the assets, but the original directors still keep a few basic rights, like the power to fight the takeover in court. Sadly, while the lawyers argued for years, the expensive factory equipment just sat there and rusted. Nigergrob never reopened, and the factory in Abeokuta remains abandoned to this day.
Nigergrob Ceramics died because the bank seized their factory over unpaid debts, while severe power outages and a crashing Naira made manufacturing too expensive to survive.

Thank you for the research and information

If this company is working at least 500 direct/indirect employments. Our politicians need to think right, but some youths preferred palitives and weeds.

I give Nigeria 20yrs to dissolve.

Nigeria has happened to it. Our leaders need to apologise to us

SixSeven:
Exactly what came to my mind. I am just surprised by the OP saying the 1993 person is that old


Nigergrob Ceramics Limited was a notable ceramic manufacturing industry located in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Established in the 1980s, the company became the subject of major Nigerian corporate and legal cases, including a landmark receivership case (U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd) regarding the extent of receiver and director powers. Financial distress and that litigation eventually led to its closure, turning it into a textbook legal authority for Nigerian corporate insolvency frameworks under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).



Story of their death:
In the early 1980s, Nigeria was trying hard to build up its local industries. A company called Nigergrob Ceramics built a big factory in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Their plan was to make floor tiles, wall tiles, and bathroom sinks locally because the construction business was booming. To buy all their heavy machinery and set up the factory, they borrowed a huge amount of money from United Bank for Africa. The bank managed this loan through U.B.A. Trustees Limited. As security for the loan, Nigergrob signed a contract that gave the bank the right to seize the factory and all its equipment if they failed to pay the money back.


Everything started well, but the late 1980s and 1990s brought tough economic times. The national power grid became very unreliable. Ceramic factories need their ovens to run constantly, so Nigergrob had to spend a lot of money on diesel generators. At the same time, the cost of raw materials went up, and they could not find local technicians to fix their complex machines. Production stopped, and the company completely ran out of money. Since Nigergrob could not pay back its debt, U.B.A. Trustees stepped in, locked the factory gates, and hired a legal manager called a receiver to take over everything and sell it off to get the bank's money back.


The original owners and directors of Nigergrob refused to leave quietly. They took the bank to court, arguing that the bank had no right to strip them of their authority. This became a famous legal battle called U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd. The case went all the way to the Court of Appeal. The judges finally ruled that when a bank takes over a broke company, the bank's manager gets full control of the business and the assets, but the original directors still keep a few basic rights, like the power to fight the takeover in court. Sadly, while the lawyers argued for years, the expensive factory equipment just sat there and rusted. Nigergrob never reopened, and the factory in Abeokuta remains abandoned to this day.
Nigergrob Ceramics died because the bank seized their factory over unpaid debts, while severe power outages and a crashing Naira made manufacturing too expensive to survive.

Can you see....In a Country without electricity..... Production will surely fail... Just imagine how buoyant this company would be today if it still operating..... The impact to the locals, state, region, Nigeria and global market.....


Govt should find means to secure that place ó before organ harvesters will repurpose the place.... That's what they did to old constain company in ibadan that lead to the popularity of soka underground (ajale)

OKUCHI11:
Where are those niaralanders such as Explorers, Airforce_1 and the rest... They made nairaland interesting those years..

If you know, you know.

There's nothing new under the sun, nothing lasts forever.

lordm:
Chai. What happened to Nigeria's industrial era

Lack of power is one of the reasons factories like this cannot run profitably. A couple of years running at a loss will quickly kill the operation. A ceramic factory needs a massive energy requirement.

Nigeria is a sorry case. All companies of yesteryears, where are they today? I don't think we have up to 5 factories established in the 80's to 90's still functioning today. Even multinational companies are moving out of here for fear of extinction. God will save Nigeria.

Invest in Nigeria and u will regret. Only bandits are having booming business

Raydos:
Out of everything, the biggest surprise was finding a sticker celebrating a baby born in 1993 (33 years ago) It was a bit of a shock realizing she’s significantly older than I am!

Looking at it made me wonder where she is today. It really puts life into perspective—nothing is permanent, and the kids of yesterday are the adults of today. It's a powerful reminder to make every moment count. Nobody lives forever

And that my birthday mate

omoredia:
Invest in Nigeria and u will regret. Only bandits are having booming business

Nigeria is a great place to invest in. Let the government fix the power issues and security issues and many will not believe what Nigerians can actually do.

Raydos:
The main factory

Nice work. Pls what phone did you use in taking those photos?

SixSeven:
Exactly what came to my mind. I am just surprised by the OP saying the 1993 person is that old


Nigergrob Ceramics Limited was a notable ceramic manufacturing industry located in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Established in the 1980s, the company became the subject of major Nigerian corporate and legal cases, including a landmark receivership case (U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd) regarding the extent of receiver and director powers. Financial distress and that litigation eventually led to its closure, turning it into a textbook legal authority for Nigerian corporate insolvency frameworks under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).



Story of their death:
In the early 1980s, Nigeria was trying hard to build up its local industries. A company called Nigergrob Ceramics built a big factory in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Their plan was to make floor tiles, wall tiles, and bathroom sinks locally because the construction business was booming. To buy all their heavy machinery and set up the factory, they borrowed a huge amount of money from United Bank for Africa. The bank managed this loan through U.B.A. Trustees Limited. As security for the loan, Nigergrob signed a contract that gave the bank the right to seize the factory and all its equipment if they failed to pay the money back.


Everything started well, but the late 1980s and 1990s brought tough economic times. The national power grid became very unreliable. Ceramic factories need their ovens to run constantly, so Nigergrob had to spend a lot of money on diesel generators. At the same time, the cost of raw materials went up, and they could not find local technicians to fix their complex machines. Production stopped, and the company completely ran out of money. Since Nigergrob could not pay back its debt, U.B.A. Trustees stepped in, locked the factory gates, and hired a legal manager called a receiver to take over everything and sell it off to get the bank's money back.


The original owners and directors of Nigergrob refused to leave quietly. They took the bank to court, arguing that the bank had no right to strip them of their authority. This became a famous legal battle called U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd. The case went all the way to the Court of Appeal. The judges finally ruled that when a bank takes over a broke company, the bank's manager gets full control of the business and the assets, but the original directors still keep a few basic rights, like the power to fight the takeover in court. Sadly, while the lawyers argued for years, the expensive factory equipment just sat there and rusted. Nigergrob never reopened, and the factory in Abeokuta remains abandoned to this day.
Nigergrob Ceramics died because the bank seized their factory over unpaid debts, while severe power outages and a crashing Naira made manufacturing too expensive to survive.

And when you calculate the wastage carried out by our government, you know that these people are born to destroy.

SixSeven:
Exactly what came to my mind. I am just surprised by the OP saying the 1993 person is that old


Nigergrob Ceramics Limited was a notable ceramic manufacturing industry located in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Established in the 1980s, the company became the subject of major Nigerian corporate and legal cases, including a landmark receivership case (U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd) regarding the extent of receiver and director powers. Financial distress and that litigation eventually led to its closure, turning it into a textbook legal authority for Nigerian corporate insolvency frameworks under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).



Story of their death:
In the early 1980s, Nigeria was trying hard to build up its local industries. A company called Nigergrob Ceramics built a big factory in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Their plan was to make floor tiles, wall tiles, and bathroom sinks locally because the construction business was booming. To buy all their heavy machinery and set up the factory, they borrowed a huge amount of money from United Bank for Africa. The bank managed this loan through U.B.A. Trustees Limited. As security for the loan, Nigergrob signed a contract that gave the bank the right to seize the factory and all its equipment if they failed to pay the money back.


Everything started well, but the late 1980s and 1990s brought tough economic times. The national power grid became very unreliable. Ceramic factories need their ovens to run constantly, so Nigergrob had to spend a lot of money on diesel generators. At the same time, the cost of raw materials went up, and they could not find local technicians to fix their complex machines. Production stopped, and the company completely ran out of money. Since Nigergrob could not pay back its debt, U.B.A. Trustees stepped in, locked the factory gates, and hired a legal manager called a receiver to take over everything and sell it off to get the bank's money back.


The original owners and directors of Nigergrob refused to leave quietly. They took the bank to court, arguing that the bank had no right to strip them of their authority. This became a famous legal battle called U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd. The case went all the way to the Court of Appeal. The judges finally ruled that when a bank takes over a broke company, the bank's manager gets full control of the business and the assets, but the original directors still keep a few basic rights, like the power to fight the takeover in court. Sadly, while the lawyers argued for years, the expensive factory equipment just sat there and rusted. Nigergrob never reopened, and the factory in Abeokuta remains abandoned to this day.
Nigergrob Ceramics died because the bank seized their factory over unpaid debts, while severe power outages and a crashing Naira made manufacturing too expensive to survive.

When i open mouth and tell people tgat if u are born in Nigeria and your parents are not polithievian then life is leading you. If u set up a business natural nigeria condition will never allow it to grow. If you love urself just look for money and travel legally to USA, Canada, UK or any Good European country. If u keep wasting time like me that was saying Nigeria will be better for 40years until i wake up and said enough is enough and JAPA. Na there i know say nobody dey do me but na just Nigeria killing dreams of future leaders. Everybody cant be Peller or Content creator. See as a good business just collapse with no help from the goverment.

Raydos:
Out of everything, the biggest surprise was finding a sticker celebrating a baby born in 1993 (33 years ago) It was a bit of a shock realizing she’s significantly older than I am!

Looking at it made me wonder where she is today. It really puts life into perspective—nothing is permanent, and the kids of yesterday are the adults of today. It's a powerful reminder to make every moment count. Nobody lives forever

That's life, we all grow old whether we like it or not!

I am amazed at how fast time flies....I remember how young I was decades ago and how I'm gradually turning into an old man! 😂

This is quite pitiful to say the least....

So many moribund factories up north too.

SixSeven:
Exactly what came to my mind. I am just surprised by the OP saying the 1993 person is that old


Nigergrob Ceramics Limited was a notable ceramic manufacturing industry located in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Established in the 1980s, the company became the subject of major Nigerian corporate and legal cases, including a landmark receivership case (U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd) regarding the extent of receiver and director powers. Financial distress and that litigation eventually led to its closure, turning it into a textbook legal authority for Nigerian corporate insolvency frameworks under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).



Story of their death:
In the early 1980s, Nigeria was trying hard to build up its local industries. A company called Nigergrob Ceramics built a big factory in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Their plan was to make floor tiles, wall tiles, and bathroom sinks locally because the construction business was booming. To buy all their heavy machinery and set up the factory, they borrowed a huge amount of money from United Bank for Africa. The bank managed this loan through U.B.A. Trustees Limited. As security for the loan, Nigergrob signed a contract that gave the bank the right to seize the factory and all its equipment if they failed to pay the money back.


Everything started well, but the late 1980s and 1990s brought tough economic times. The national power grid became very unreliable. Ceramic factories need their ovens to run constantly, so Nigergrob had to spend a lot of money on diesel generators. At the same time, the cost of raw materials went up, and they could not find local technicians to fix their complex machines. Production stopped, and the company completely ran out of money. Since Nigergrob could not pay back its debt, U.B.A. Trustees stepped in, locked the factory gates, and hired a legal manager called a receiver to take over everything and sell it off to get the bank's money back.


The original owners and directors of Nigergrob refused to leave quietly. They took the bank to court, arguing that the bank had no right to strip them of their authority. This became a famous legal battle called U.B.A. Trustees Ltd v. Nigergrob Ceramics Ltd. The case went all the way to the Court of Appeal. The judges finally ruled that when a bank takes over a broke company, the bank's manager gets full control of the business and the assets, but the original directors still keep a few basic rights, like the power to fight the takeover in court. Sadly, while the lawyers argued for years, the expensive factory equipment just sat there and rusted. Nigergrob never reopened, and the factory in Abeokuta remains abandoned to this day.
Nigergrob Ceramics died because the bank seized their factory over unpaid debts, while severe power outages and a crashing Naira made manufacturing too expensive to survive.

Manufacturing business is only for the brave. In present time, manufacturing business has made many brave business men broke.

Taal17:
I

This would make a good business study for a post grad class.
Lessons learned and what could have been done

Some things that comes to mind are
Nigergrob getting partners so business is shared
Possible future plans to set up their own power plant/source. Especially since just 7 yrs after the closed in 2014 the changes in the electricity act allowed for companies to do that
Then they shouldn't have gone to court with UBA

2007 is not a long time ago.

I recall on a trip from Osun to Ibadan I saw a few factories like this along the back roads closer to Ibadan around the Iwo aide

Do you think new investors can get it fixed? Funding with some young hungry people who are serious about business and can be guided because we all say tech tech tech but we can't eat tech. Those things are mainly services, we still need to produce and manufacture, sell and then export. Speaking about factories you saw, 20 years ago, some people warned that we can't be seeing factories close down or see religious houses taking over closed factories and think it's progress.

CrownOfClay724:
Safe to say government ineptitude killed the company.

The state government

Raydos:
Driven by my usual adventurous streak, I headed out today to explore an old, abandoned ceramic factory near my place. I first learned about it from a local elderly woman, who told me it opened back in 1974 (exactly 52 years ago) and that her husband used to work there in the 80's

She shared a bunch of stories about how lively the place used to be, bustling with all kinds of people earning a living before it finally shut its doors around 2007.

Listening to her gave me this irresistible urge to sneak inside. I just had to explore it and get a firsthand sense of what it felt like when the machines were running, how the employees worked, and what their daily lives were like.

I cry for Nigeria of today. Many people lost their jobs here. The governments' idea of working is borrowing and building cheap roads that sooner were commissioned than become dilapidated. They can't think of reviving these industries. These are the alternatives to oil and unemployment.

Ritualists zone🤨
Na that kyne place python dey hide too

I can never forget the song that follows that Maltina advert in 1994.
.
Maltina moment, Maltina to share
For those you love, moment.
That shows how much you care
You can show them
When words can't say how much you feel
A smile and Maltina says it all.
.
Show them that you care
Show how much you care
Maltina, because you really care!

They will soon buy the place n convert it to church

you mean these guys the so called iron condemn guys are not existent here?

Does it mean no Omo Oyile to claim the land that doesn't belong to him for more than 20 years now

Why am tearing up all of a sudden... Op kudos.... This has to be d best post ever... Enlightening, gripping, and of course sad

Chummynoni:
How time flies .. if it was in Lagos , iron condemned assholes would have looted the place dry

I was about to type the Iron condemned part then I saw your comment.

Not necessary again.

I once walked thru the Railway Compound at Ebute Meta, right from there Gate at the Federal Medical Centre side at Mainland Local Government, Ebute Meta to the other Gate at NTA Channel 7 (Tejuoso)

I was left speechless when I saw what their Foundary has become and how massive it was then.

That place is Iron Condemned Paradise!

Raydos:
Driven by my usual adventurous streak, I headed out today to explore an old, abandoned ceramic factory near my place. I first learned about it from a local elderly woman, who told me it opened back in 1974 (exactly 52 years ago) and that her husband used to work there in the 80's

She shared a bunch of stories about how lively the place used to be, bustling with all kinds of people earning a living before it finally shut its doors around 2007.

Listening to her gave me this irresistible urge to sneak inside. I just had to explore it and get a firsthand sense of what it felt like when the machines were running, how the employees worked, and what their daily lives were like.

You should create a YouTube channel detailing these sorts of structures for those who don't know of them. 🤔