Adebite calls for additional Iron and Steel plants to the development of the Iron and Steel industry In Nigeria

Favour Ishember,, Abuja

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, MMSD, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, has adviced the Federal Government on the establishment of additional Iron and Steel plants and generally on the formulation of policies relating to the development of the Iron and Steel industry and other related industries in Nigeria .

Adebite gave this advice when he inaugurated the reconstituted National Steel Council at the Ministry’s Headquarters, Abuja to establish a Committee, which is capable of effectively and efficiently executing central planning of the iron and Steel industry.

In a statement at the ceremony, Arc. Adegbite noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the Council, is a step in the right direction as it will bring Nigeria closer to achieving self – sufficiency in Steel production.

While assuring the Board of Ministry’s unalloyed support towards realising their mandate, he tasked the 10 – member Committee, which is Chaired by Muhammad Murtala Aliyu with Amb. Abdulkarim Musafari as its Executive Secretary, to judiciously execute their assigned duties in the Sector in order to realize the economic diversification agenda of the present Administration.

The Minister reeled out the Committee’s Terms of Reference to include, research and development for the Steel industry, comprising research and development of the technology and other aspects of Iron and Steel production and the utilisation of the products and by-products of lron and Steel plants;

Also speaking at the occasion, the Minister of State, MMSD, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, expressed delight at the composition of the board and urged the Committee to fast-track the development of the strategic industry , which has become an index of power and economy, an economic nerve trigger, industrial raw material consumer, a foreign exchange earner and saver.

On her part, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, among other things, urged the Committee members to bring their wealth of experience to bear in re- engineering and repositioning of the Steel Sector to actualise the Federal Government’s targeted economic growth.

The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade, represented by the Director, Artisanal and Small – Scale Mining (ASM), Mr Patrick Ojeka added that the function of the Council is designed to cover areas that contribute in developing the relevant human capacity and necessary tools that will build up and sustain metallurgical and Steel Sector. He, therefore, urged the Council to take advantage of the clarion call to national service and revitalise the Steel Sector for national development.

In his response , the Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Muhammad Murtala Aliyu, pledged that his team will assiduously work to achieve a milestone which will change the narrative of the industry and take the country to greater heights.