The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has
said President Muhammadu Buhari has given marching orders to his
ministry for the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company.
Adegbite disclosed this in Abuja during an interactive session with
journalists on the proposed Nigerian solid minerals downstream
workshop scheduled to hold December 2.
The minister who spoke through his Special Adviser on Special Duty,
Sunny Ekozin, said the ministry had been working ’round the clock to
actualise the ‘presidential directives’.
“For the past three months, we have been doing everything possible to
ensure we make progress and we are happy to let the nation know that
the president has given us full backing in this assignment.
“The support given by the president includes political backing to
ensure that Ajaokuta works and by the grace of God it will work soon,”
he said.
The minister also said part of the directive by the President was for
the problems bedevilling the solid minerals sector to be solved and to
ensure Nigeria could rely on the sector to diversify its economy.
He said after articulating the problem for the past three months, the
administration was on the path to harnessing the potential that abound
in the minerals sector for the benefit of the people in the country.
Adegbite explained that one of the steps taken was the current process
of developing the Nigerian Downstream Mineral Policy.
According to him, the policy is the first of its kind in the history
of the country.
“The downstream mineral policy will trigger the nation with a clear
diversification blue print in a sustainable manner, especially for the
revamping of Ajaokuta steel company.
“And also effective harnessing of the abundant minerals endowment
spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“As part of the process leading to the revamping of the entire solid
minerals sector, we are sensitising key stakeholders, especially large
investors of this novel initiative for the development of solid
mineral downstream value chains.
“This will help to create massive jobs, wealth and industrialisation.”
Adegbite added that the ministry was determined and committed to
ensuring that the president’s mandate was realised within the next
three years.
He said that the present government would stem the export of jobs and
wealth by unwittingly exporting 35 million of unprocessed mineral
products annually.
The minister pledged to open the sector to genuine indigenous and
foreign investors to actively participate in the downstream licensing
of mineral plants.
