…As Agency welcomes Minister in maiden visit
Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), Mr. Kolawole Michael Ogunbiyi has hailed the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the renewed attention accorded the country’s steel sector. The DG said apart from demerging the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to create a full-fledged Ministry of Steel Development, the government has shown genuine concern for the development of the steel sector.
Speaking recently when the agency played host to the Minister of State for Steel Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, in Kaduna, the DG said that developing the steel sector is a priority of the current administration as captured in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president. “There are deliberate efforts to revive the steel sector with a view to harness the gains within the sector to achieve sustainable development as part of the 8-point agenda of the President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Revamping the steel sector is paramount as steel production is key to economic growth, job & wealth creation and sustainable future. Any technological development without a well-developed steel sector is unimaginable,” he said. Adding that domestic steel production will gradually replace foreign imports of steel, thereby reducing heavy burden on the nation’s foreign earnings, the DG urged the government to support the agency’s effort to make coking coal available in the country.
“In light of the above, it is necessary for government to provide special intervention fund to complete the Obi-Lafia coal project. If this coal project is fully developed, it is capable of reducing the importation of coking coal, one of the major raw materials needed in steel production. For Obi-Lafia coal to be economically minable, In-seam exploration is needed to determine the feasibility of mining this coal resource; bulk sampling for pilot testing and laboratory tests/analysis to ascertain the suitability of the coal for use as feed for Ajaokuta coke ovens,” he noted.
Speaking on Ajaokuta, Mr. Ogunbiyi said mismanagement, poor planning, and lack of strong political will were responsible for its current moribund state. He expressed confidence in the current administration to take the right steps towards bringing the steel complex onboard. He thanked the Minister of State for the visit, noting that it afforded the agency the opportunity to intimate the Ministry on the situation of things at the agency.
In his remarks, the Minister of State commended the agency for the work it has done over the years, but urged the management and staff to do even more as the country looks to diversify its revenue sources for economic development. He further pledged government’s continued support for the agency to enable it carry out its mandate of steel raw materials exploration across the country.
