The Sole Administrator of
Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited Engr. Sumaila Abdul-Akaba said “Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited is Not Obsolete” –
He made this known at a stake-holders roundtable organized by the cso coalation for the revitalization of the steel plant, held at Reverton hotel, lokoja on 23rd october, 2021.
Abdul – Akaba said Ancient Nigeria before the arrival of the British has had its own basic capacity for foundry and fabrication practices which had thrived in the empires and kingdoms, the vestiges of these practices abide till date in Ilorin, Bida, Benin, Kano, etc. From these practices, crude as they were provided farming game hunting tools, implements for works, and weapons for defence. This foundation defined our powers and capacity, though these colonial powers had a more improve iron and steel technology with which they overwhelmed our Kingdoms.
Therefore, Iron and Steel production connotes power and a nation such as Nigeria without a sound Iron and Steel foundation is not only weak, diversification of its economy is in jeopardy.
He stated that the Steel Production remains a distinctive classification mark between 1st and 3rd world; i.e between the Rich and Poor Nations and history has shown that no country has ever become rich or developed by exporting raw materials as Nigeria does without also having an industrial sector to add value to them, and in modern terms an advanced services sector. In fact, the more a country specializes in the production of raw materials only, the poorer it becomes. According to the UNDP the threshold of industrialization in any nation is is measured in terms of steel consumption on a global average of 130 kilograms (per capita). Nigeria’s average steel consumption with its population is less than 10 kilograms (per capita). To achieve this UNDP standard, Nigeria must up its capacity to produce about 18million tons of steel and related products per annum; sadly our Nation imported Steel products valued $USD683.17 Million as at 2019 and China alone accounts for $USD364.64 Million according to United Nations Comrade Data. This is where Ajaokuta Integrated Iron and Steel Plant comes in.
While noting that Nigeria’s steel production in spite of its huge capacity is placed at a negligible 1.3million tons per annum while Egypt and South Africa with Similar technologies and smaller population figures are producing 5.5 and 6.4 million tonnes respectively; sadly even this locally produced steel products are from some small steel rolling mills that use 100% scrap as raw material because Ajaokuta Steel Plant (ASCL) and Delta Steel Plant (DSCL) are not available for the production of crude steel which is the main stay of the steel sector anywhere in the World.
The sole administrator revealed that the Ajaokuta Integrated Iron and Steel Plant was conceived and steadily developed with the vision of erecting a Metallurgical Process Plant cum Engineering Complex, with the prime objective of generating upstream and downstream industrial and economic activities critical to the diversification of the Nigerian economy into an industrial one. It has an assemblage of Engineering Workshops where engineering components like spares and facilities can be produced. This is why Ajaokuta Steel Plant is aptly tagged as the “bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialization”.
“In Nigeria, the two major steel plants of Ajaokuta and Delta Steel Plants adopted these two major processes of Steel making, however, The choice of technology, that is Blast Furnace – Basic Oxygen Process (BF=BOF) adopted for Ajaokuta Steel Plant as it is today, is still the best and the most popular worldwide. For several years till date, over 70% of world steel production is via the Blast Furnace Process Technology.” he stated.
Speaking on revolution, the sole administrator said the efforts to rekindle the light of the Ajaokuta Integrated Iron and Steel Plant have been on for a while now. In 2008, July, 31st to August, 1st; the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel development organized a National Steel Summit in Lagos and came up with several resolutions that were key to the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. In 2014, the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment launched its National Industrial Revolution Plans (NIRP) with Steel as its core driver.
It used the medium to put up a Stakeholders Forum in Lagos where Ajaokuta Steel Plant issues were canvassed with various participants agreeing that without the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Integrated Iron and Steel Plant, the Industrial Revolution Plans will be a futile effort.
He finally said the completion and operationalization of the Plant will not only help government to diversify its economy from a mono-product economy, it will also galvanize small, medium and large scale economic activities in Kogi State especially with emphasis on skill acquisition, taxes, employment and expansion of industrial facilities in and around the host State.
