A Non Governmental Organization, NGO Network, working under the aegis of CSO Coalition for the Revitalization of Ajaokuta Steel Plant, has emphasized the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to bring alive the Ajaokuta Steel Plant which has caused the country fortunes since it was conceptualized.
Project Director of the CSO,Mohammed Attah,told PremiumNews,that the development was necessary in view of the huge economic potentials the plant would render to Nigeria and the wider world.
Mohammed,who earlier addressed a letter to the chairman, Ajaokuta Presidential Implementation Committee,said the plant can be used to fasten the country’s pace of industrialization which was dwarfed by the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic
The Ajaokuta Steel Plant,he said,was conceived and steadily developed with the vision of erecting a metallurgical Process Plant cum Engineering Complex and to generate upstream and downstream industrial, adding that economic activities critical to the diversification of the economy of the country into an industrial one.
According to him,the Ajaokuta Steel Plant was designed to produce liquid steel via the blast furnace, a major and current technology for steel production around the world.
The group also noted that for several years till date, over 70% of world steel production is through the Blast Furnace Process Technology.
According to him,the steel sector is very critical to our national development because of its catalytic role and linkage effects on other sector of the national economy.
He added: “It is an employment generator….Ajaokuta Steel Plant in the first phase will yield 10,000 direct technical jobs and 500,000 indirect unskilled , semi- skilled and skilled jobs in the downstream and upstream industries as well as services. This will translate to improved living standard for our citizen it will enhance peaceful environment and bring about better security when our youths are gainfully employed
“It will bring about technological growth. It will stimulate skill acquisition development. It will bring about infrastructural development. It will actualize wealth creation through value addition to our solid mineral resources.Steel development is a jealously and zealously guarded sector being strategic to the defense cells in the steel plant
“It will boost our armament production plans. It is the bedrock of any nation’s industrialization.It is one of the main pillars of Nigeria industrial revolution plan (NIRP)
He noted the efforts of the Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals to attract the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria to a commitment to jump start the reactivation and completion of Ajaokuta Steel Plant
He said the commitment initiated the move for the meeting of President Mohammadu Buhari and President Putin of Russia in Sochi (Russia) in October 2019 that brought about the Government to Government agreement to reactivate , modernize, complete and operate Ajaokuta Steel Plant.
He added:”This effort has resulted into the Federal government inaugurating the Ajaokuta Presidential Project Implementation Team(APPIT) the committee saddled with the implementation of the Government to Government agreement. This committee of which the Minister is the co – Chairman has proceeded to achieve a lot towards realizing the goal, presently as soon as the COVID- 19 measures are relaxed for international flights the Russians are expected to come in for the Technical Audit of the Steel plant which is the first phase of the project implementation”
He emphasized the need for President Muhammad Buhari to redouble his efforts in giving a boost to the revitalization of the plant,saying Nigeria needs the facility to bolster the mines sector as well as reset its economy.
