Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu has shared the federal government’s plan to begin the production of military hardware at Ajaokuta steel mill.
Appearing on a Channels Television program on Monday, January 15, Audu revealed that he’s been working closely with his counterparts in the Ministries of Defence and Works to perfect plans for the steel plant which has been moribund for many years to start the production of iron rods and military hardware.
He said;
“In addition to restarting the light steel mill, we want to produce military hardware in Ajaokuta Steel.
“I have been working very closely with Minister of Defence Alhaji Badaru and Minister of Works Senator Umahi to work hand in hand to produce iron rods in Ajaokuta and to produce military hardware capabilities in Ajaokuta.
“Whether it is helmets, whether it is bullets, whether it is vests, whether it is pads for tanks of all shapes and all of those things or rifles ammunitions, we will be able to have the capacity to be able to do that.”
Audu who revealed that it will cost between two to five billion dollars to revamp the entire complex based on the estimate by experts, with the light steel mill section costing about N35 billion, further disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has given him approval to raise money locally to revive the light steel mill section of the steel plant.
The N35 billion investments in the steel plant will help it produce 50,000 tons of iron rods with the capacity to go up to 400,000 tons. He also identified a lack of political will as one of the major reasons the Ajaokuta Steel Mill has not functioned for over 40 years.
Audu said;
“I think part of the issue is that there has been no political will. This is the first time in our 63-year history since independence that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has created a Steel Ministry.
“He understands the industrial revolution will hinge on the Ministry of Steel. There were some concessions done in the past where concessionaires brought in didn’t have the skills required to be able to carry out the job, so those were some of the challenges.”
