The Federal Government of Nigeria has set up a technical Committee to urgently look into the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State.
The Committee will be expected to determine what to produce, the raw materials to use, cost of reviving the production centre as well as to determine sources of funding.
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who disclosed this when he received the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu and the Managing Director of Ajaokuta Steel Company, Sumaila Abdul Akaba in his office in Abuja, named the Permanent Secretary, Director- General of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria ( DICON) and the Managing- Director of Ajaokuta Steel Company as members of the Technical Committee.
He asked them to work vigorously and ambitiously and come up with a report on the way forward in two weeks time.
The minister vowed that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to the revitalization and repositioning of the Steel Company for the purpose of producing, among others, military hardware to support the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.
According to the minister, Ajaokuta Steel Company is known for the local production of Military hardware, adding that there is the need to partner with Ministry of Steel Development because 80/90 per cent of what is required for the production of military hardware is Steel.
He said that strengthening the Company to produce military hardware instead of relying on foreign production would boost the nation’s fight against insurgency and other related crimes.
“Local production of military Hardware is critical because the crisis we have in the country at present will not allow us rely on other countries for Military hardware.”
This was even as the ninister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, said that reviving Ajaokuta Steel would be a game changer to Nigerian Industry and the economy as a whole.
He said that due to paucity of funds, production was stalled. “But I believe that if initiatives are put in place, Ajaokuta Steel will be revived and work will resume within the first four years of the Present Bola Tinubu’s administration.”
He said that the Company has about 48 production units and one of such units is for production of Military hardware, and that if the Ministry of Defence collaborate with the Company, it would have the capacity to produce military Hardware that the nation will needs.
