The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company (ASCO) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and and the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu for attracting over $14bn pledges to the country as a result of their efforts during the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Business Conference held in India. The coalition also commended efforts made by the administration to revive the country’s steel sector.
A statement signed by Mohammed Bougei Attah, National Coordinator, Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative, and Otunba Dele Ajayi-Smith, President, Africa Citizens Development Foundation said: ‘The CSO Coalition for the Revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company celebrates the recent developments in the steel sector hatched during the President’s visit to India for the G20 world leaders meeting.’
The statement, which was also endorsed by Barr. Clifford Thomas, Executive Director, Foundation for Civic Education, Human Rights, and Development Advancement, noted that ‘last month, President Tinubu sent a high powered delegation, led by Vice President Bukar Abba Shetima to the Russia-Africa Summit,’ adding that the quest for resuscitation of Ajaokuta was the main point of the visit.
‘We salute the ‘can do spirit’ of President Tinubu and celebrate his achievements in just three months in office,’ the statement said, adding that in a single stroke, President Tinubu has brought great fortune to Nigeria with US$14bn FDI pledge.
‘We look forward to his future visits to the United Nations General Assembly later this month, to United States and other Industrialized nations in the coming months and we hope that the revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company will continue to take center stage,’ the coalition added.
‘Our immediate shared fortune is the pledged of US$3bn by Jindal Steel and Power of India. The Coalition hopes that this will bring upliftment to the long-term aspiration of the Nigerian Civil Society movement to see Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mills working again, which was abandoned at 95% completion stage since 1994.’
‘We commend the President for creating a new Ministry of Steel Development as an independent establishment, and for appointing a son of the soil in person of Prince Abubakar to head the Ministry,’ the statement added.
