The National Coordinator of the CSO Coalition for the Revival of Ajaokuta, Mohammed Bougei Attah, has implored the Federal Government to urgently apply the ‘Nigeria First Policy’ for the revitalization of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, ASCL as the easiest option left for the country.
The recommendation, which Attah said has implications for local content inclusiveness, is to have ‘Nigerian Group Ownership’ of the steel plant.
Rising from a one-day international Conference on Ajaokuta last week, one of the key resolutions by the over 50 participants from across many countries, was a Nigerian Group Ownership’ of the steel company.
The communique issued recommended among others the privatization of the Ajaokuta Steel Company as a last resort for the country, which will help to reduce the ugly developments over the plant in the last 40 years and more.
This communiqué issued at the end of the conference reflects a structured dialogue among stakeholders on the state, challenges, and future pathway for the Ajaokuta Steel Company.
After 46 years of stalled progress, the project remains central to Nigeria’s industrial ambition and economic transformation.
Participants observed that Ajaokuta Steel Company has remained non-operational for over four decades despite significant financial investment and policy attention.
The project represents one of Nigeria’s most significant missed industrial opportunities, with estimated economic losses exceeding $100 billion.
It further noted that previous concession efforts have failed to deliver results due to lack of transparency, weak technical capacity, and policy inconsistency.
