Steel Sector Capable Of Growing GDP – Audu

Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu has reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to improve the country’s economy and grow the Gross Domestic Product through the Steel Sector.

Prince Audu made this known during his working Visit to the National Metallurgical Development Centre, NMDC, Jos, Plateau State.

The Minister explained that the aim was to ensure establishment of a sustainable research system for development of the sector.

Prince Audu who emphasized the need for research in the steel industry noted that the Sector can only be kept in position to serve its manifold purposes through determined searching and probing that would lead to discovery and improvement of products and services in the steel sector.

“The National Metallurgical Development Centre is not just a historical asset, it is a strategic research engine for the nation’s steel industry, This is because no nation can really develop without the development of its steel industry, and pivotal to the development of the steel industry is Research” he added.

The Minister explained that the Centre’s mandate to offer research and development inputs is necessary for the development of mining and allied sectors, with specific focus on the steel industry in Nigeria which is very strategic, noting that the center is the only one of its kind in the West African sub-region with integrated facilities to carry out mineral evaluation, metallurgical processes, adaption and improvement, mineral and metal testing and environmental pollution studies”.

He added that the center has the capacity to proactively support the growth of the nation’s economy by developing local capacities along the mineral value chain activities, given the right impetus.

Prince Audu revealed that the Research & Development of NMDC activities will be geared towards the domestication of Research findings into productive Small and Medium Scale ventures, as SMEs are the micro drivers of the economy.

He emphasized that moving forward the Centre will undertake targeted research projects that aim at solving existing industry needs, so as to enable the utilization of various local metallurgical raw materials that Nigeria is endowed with.

He therefore urged members and staff of the Centre to work together to reposition the Steel and other Metals Sector to attain its pride of place as the bedrock of industrialization and support the Ministry in actualizing its mandate.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mary Ogbe enjoined the staff to be disciplined and adhere to rules in the discharge of their duties and ensure they work as a team to promote the National Metallurgical Development Centre for optimal productivity.

Earlier, the Director General of the National Metallurgical Development Centre, NMDC, Prof. Linus Asuquo who stated that without research Steel can not roll, noted that the Research Centre is a unique Agency in the Steel and Metals Sector hence its activities are crucial in value addition and development processes in the entire Steel processing chain, from exploration to extraction and fabrication.

Prof. Asuquo expressed optimism that with the leadership of the Ministry, the NMDC would become a Centre of Excellence in Minerals and Metals Research that will be at par with other Steel Research Centres in the world.

In a related development, the Minister during a courtesy visit to the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang stated that the purpose for the visit to the State was to get an on-the-spot assesment of the National Metallurgical Development Centre in order to ascertain its challenges and opportunities and proffer possible solutions that will ensure that the research Centre operates at full capacity as well as seek collaboration with the Plateau State Government in reviving the Jos Steel Rolling Mill.

In his remarks, Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutftwang assured of the State’s willingness to synergise with the Federal Government in reviving the Steel Sector for the growth of the economy.

By Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji