As the Federal Government intensifies efforts to revive the steel industry in the country, the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, embarked on a tour to the National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), Jos, and Zuma Steel (formerly Jos Steel Rolling Mill) to ascertain their current state.
Prince Audu said that the aim of the visit was to ascertain their challenges and opportunities, and explore possible solutions that will ensure that the research centre and the steel rolling mill operate at full capacity.
The Minister was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Mary Ogbe, and other senior staff of the Ministry during the two-day working visit between February 28 and February 29.
Prince Audu said that the visit is also part of the ongoing efforts to revive the nation’s steel industry so that the country can commence steel production within the shortest time, in line with the ‘renewed hope’ mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said that talks with foreign investors who are interested in managing the already existing steel plants and building new ones, as well as talks with local financial institutions, are already in the concluding stages for the projects to kick off.
The Minister, while emphasising the need for research in the steel industry, noted that the sector can only be kept in position to serve its manifold purposes through determined searching and probing that would lead to discovery and improvement of products and services in the steel sector.
“The National Metallurgical Development Centre is not just a historical asset, it is a strategic research engine for the nation’s steel industry. This is because no nation can really develop without the development of its steel industry, and pivotal to the development of the steel industry is research.”
“The centre has the capacity to proactively support the growth of the nation’s economy by developing local capacities along the mineral value chain activities, given the right impetus,” Audu said.
He tasked members and staff of the Centre to work together to reposition the Steel and other Metals Sector to attain its pride of place as the bedrock of industrialization and implored them to renew their commitment, drive, focus, and dedication towards supporting the Ministry to actualize its mandates.
The Director General of the NMDC, Prof. Linus Asuquo, reiterated that without research, steel cannot roll, noting that the Research Centre is a unique agency in the steel and metals sector and that its activities are crucial in value addition and development processes in the entire steel processing chain, from exploration to extraction and fabrication.
Prof. Asuquo, while reeling out the numerous achievements of the Centre as well as some of its challenges, expressed optimism that, with the leadership of the Ministers and Permanent Secretary, the NMDC would become a Centre of Excellence in Minerals and Metals Research that would be at par with other Steel Research Centres in the world.
Visiting Zuma Steel, Prince Audu said that the privatisation agreement between Zuma Steel and the Federal Government in 2005 would be reviewed to know the next steps.
In a related development, the Minister, during a courtesy visit to Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, said the Ministry would seek collaboration with the Plateau State Government in reviving the Jos Steel Rolling Mill, now known as the Zuma Steel Rolling Mill in the State.
In his remarks, Gov. Mutftwang assured of the state’s willingness to synergize with the federal government in reviving the steel sector for the growth of the economy.
Gov. Mutfwang stated that the state would directly benefit from the revival of the steel sector, as according to him, the Jos Steel Rolling Mill, when in full operation, will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the teeming Jos citizens.
The Minister, during the working visit to Jos, Plateau State, also paid a courtesy visit to the Gbong Gworm Jos as well as had a facility tour of the Zuma Steel Rolling Mill.
