MINISTER of National Planning, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman, has said that the Ajaokuta Steel was the biggest tombstone of Nigeria’s failed public sector investment.
The minister stated this on Thursday, in Abuja, at a public presentation of roadmap for development of solid minerals and metals sector in Nigeria.
He said: “If you go to Ajaokuta Steel today and you are a patriotic Nigerian, you will cry for this country, as I was shocked when I got there.”
Usman said part of the mess the country is in today was as a result of abandoned plans, adding that Nigeria was beginning to get back to the fundamentals of planning.
The National Planning boss added that there was the need for ministers to develop sector-driven plans and not go beyond what the sector entailed.
He said the country had abandoned planning for more than 30 years, a reason there were many abandoned projects across the country, adding that many projects were awarded without planning.
Speaking at the event, Minister for Mines and Steel, Mr Musa Sada, said that the roadmap for solid minerals development would give greater opportunities for local and foreign investors to explore the enormous potentials of Nigeria’s minerals and metals sector.
He said there was a considerable progress on the development of the ‘one local government, one mineral commodity product programme” being formulated by the ministry, in conjuction with the Ministry of Trade and Investment.
Sada disclosed that the project would provide jobs, improved capacity utilisation of manufacturing companies, using mineral resources and improved revenue for government from royalties and taxes in the sector.
