The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu , on Thursday in Abuja said President Bola Tinubu will headline the maiden edition of the National Steel Summit, scheduled to hold this July in Abuja.
The summit, he said, aims to rebuild, renew and unlock Nigeria’s steel potential, with a focus on collaborative action for sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
The minister, while appraising the current status of the sector, urged investors to explore opportunities and identify various policies and infrastructural needs, noting that the Ajaokuta steel mill, which has been slowed down by bureaucratic bottlenecks, needs an overhaul.
Audu said: “Ajaokuta, which is the bedrock of the nation’s industrialisation and 90 per cent completion, presently needs a technical audit to reevaluate the comatose state of the project.”
At the summit, he said, the sector will adopt a consensus way forward for the revival and sustainable development of the steel sector.
“Despite the chequered history of steel development in Nigeria which dates back to 1958, the present Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is already pushing the right buttons to ensure the emergence of a virile Steel industry in Nigeria along the following key mandate instructions.
“This present administration is trying to position Nigeria as a major steel hub for Sub-Saharan Africa, contributing significantly to national GDP, creating a robust and competitive steel industry that services critical sectors of the economy,” Audu said.
Kasim Sumaina
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