The chairman senate committee on Solid Minerals, Mines, Steel Development and Metallurgy, Senator Tanko Almakura on Thursdaysaid President Muhammadu Buhari is passionate to ensure that Ajaokuta Steel Company become very effective and drive the process of proper industrialisation in Nigeria.
Specifically, Almakura noted that the President would revive the company before he takes a bow in 2023.
The former governor of Nasarawa state made the disclosure when he presented the 2022 budget proposals of the committee to the Appropriation committee in Abuja.
“Ajaokuta Steel Company is one very vibrant sector that had been left in deep slumber.
“We have talked many times over about the need to reactivate this company and I know as a fact, the president is very passionate to ensure that before he takes a bow, that Ajaokuta Steel Company will become very effective and drive the process of proper industrialisation in this country”.
He observed that there is great hope for the solid mineral industry to grow.
According to Almakura, government should take into consideration the wide spread, presence of these minerals across the states, saying the funding should be in tandem with this multiplicity of opportunities across the states.
On the 2022 budget, he said “we presented today, the framework for effective growth, what is lacking is the funding because there is so much talk about economic growth and diversification which the solid mineral sector is supposed to drive among other sectors like agriculture, power.
Almakura bemoaned “unfortunately, the funding is the greatest problem. Not only that, certain bureaucratic red tapism within and around agencies, departments and ministries have stalled this most desired project”.
Also speaking Senator Smart Adeyemi said solid mineral is very key to our socio-economic development.
“As a nation coping with large number of unemployed people, this sector is very important. It is key, it will help the nation in terms of job creation and employment opportunities”.
In his remarks, Chairman of Appropriation committee, Senator Jibrin Barau added “we know a lot of money has been spent to bring about Ajaokuta and now it is in a state of decay, not utilised, so it calls for the involvement of everybody to make sure we resuscitate that important complex”.
