By ABAH SUNDAY, Abuja
The federal government has reiterated its commitment to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and, by extension, the economy through the steel sector, assuring that it will establish a sustainable research system for the development of the sector.
Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, made this known during his recent working visit to the National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), Jos, Plateau State, according too statement from the Press and Public Relations Department of the ministry on Friday.
Prince Audu who was in the company of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Mary Ogbe, stressed the need for research in the steel industry, adding that the sector could 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.
According to him, the National Metallurgical Development Centre is not just a historical asset, it is a strategic research engine for the nation’s steel industry, because no nation can really develop without the development of its steel industry, to which research is pivotal.
He noted that the Centre’s mandate to offer research and development inputs necessary for the development of the mining, minerals and allied sectors, with specific focus on the steel industry in Nigeria, is very strategic, adding that the Centre 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 said the centre 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 and development aspect of NMDC activities will be geared towards the domestication of research findings into productive Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs, as according to him, they are the micro drivers of the economy,
He said, “Going forward, the Centre shall undertake targeted research projects that aims to solve existing industry needs, so as to enable us utilise locally, the various metallurgical raw materials that Nigeria is endowed with.”
He tasked members and staff of the Centre to work together to reposition the steel and other metals sector to take its pride of place as the bedrock of industrialisation for the country even as he implored them to remain committed and focused supporting the ministry to actualise its mandates.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Ogbe enjoined the staff to be disciplined and adhere to rules in the discharge of their duties while ensuring that they work as a team to reposition the Centre for optimal productivity.
Earlier, the Director General of the NMDC, Prof. Linus Asuquo, described the Centre is a unique agency in the steel and metals sector that its activities are crucial in value addition and development processes in the entire Steel processing chain, from exploration to extraction and to fabrication.
The Minister also paid separate courtesy calls on the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, and the Gbong Gworm Jos where he intimated them abou his mission of an on-the-spot assessment of the NMDC to ascertain its challenges and opportunities and proffer possible solutions that will ensure that the research Centre operates at full capacity.
He told them also that he was on ground to seek collaboration with the Plateau State Government in reviving the Jos Steel Rolling Mill, now known as the Zuma Steel Rolling Mill, which he had a facility tour of.
On his part, the Executive Governor Mutftwang assured of the State willingness to synergise with the federal government in reviving the Steel Sector for the growth of the economy as, according to him, the Jos Steel Rolling Mill, when fully operational, will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the teeming Jos citizens.