Nigeria will be the major producer of Steel products in the African continent before year 2020.

The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Gusau made the disclosure in Abuja when members of the National Association of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Students of Nigeria paid him a working visit. 

The essence of the visit was to find out efforts being made by the Federal Government for the development of the Mines and Steel sector and job opportunities for the Engineering students after graduation. 

In the words of the Minister: “Our focus is to ensure that Nigeria is the major procedure of Steel in the continent of Africa. For that to be achieved we have already started preparation. We want Nigerians and the young engineers to get involved and become the pioneers and operators in the Metal and Steel sector.” 

Alhaji Gusau said that the Ministry and other stakeholders are doing everything possible to restore the confidence of investors in the Metal and Steel sector for the industrial development of Nigeria. 

The Minister noted that the Metal and Steel sector was vital to Nigeria’s industrial development, adding that the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering students are the ingredients for that industrial development. 

To realize the turn around of the Steel sector, Alhaji Gusau said that the Federal Government has put in place Nigeria’s Minerals and Metals Policy, Nigeria’s Minerals and Mining Act of 2007, improvement in the standard of operations of the Metallurgical Inspectorate and Raw Materials Development Department, the Steel Department, the Aluminum Department, the National Steel Raw materials Exploration Agency and the National Metallurgical Development Centre. The Bill for an Act for the establishment of a Metallurgical Training Institute at Onitsha, Anambra State is in process. 

The Minister observed that Government could not afford the finances to establish a new Steel company like the Ajaokuta Steel company based on past experiences which are guides for the future. 

He said that everything was being done within the law to regulate investors operating in the Steel sector to create jobs and wealth for Nigerians in line with the seven-point agenda of the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua led administration. 

The Minister assured that the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development was ready to assist members of the Association for the development of the Steel sector. 

Alhaji Gusau disclosed that Dana Steel Nigeria Limited, Katsina (the former Katsina Steel Rolling Mill) had commenced production of steel materials.