Your Excellency,
Good afternoon sir.
Nearly half a century ago, Nigeria embarked on one of the boldest industrial projects ever conceived on the African continent.
The Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited was never intended to be just another government enterprise.
It was designed to become the backbone of Nigeria’s industrial economy, the foundation upon which railways, bridges, refineries, power stations, automobiles, heavy machinery, defence equipment, construction materials, oil and gas infrastructure and thousands of manufacturing businesses would depend.
It represented more than iron and steel.
It represented national ambition.
It represented economic independence.
It represented Nigeria’s determination to build an industrial economy capable of competing with the rest of the world.
Few national projects have carried greater expectations.
Unfortunately, few have produced greater disappointment than the Aluminium Smelting Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Akwa Ibom State, the Delta Steel Company in Aladja, NAFCON in Port Harcourt, and the NNPC refineries.
Today, after forty-seven years, Ajaokuta no longer represents Nigeria’s industrial future.
These failed projects represent one of the longest-running failures of public-sector industrial policy anywhere in Africa.
Mr President, sir, this letter is not another appeal to revive Ajaokuta and NIOMCO.
Nigeria has listened to that promise since 1979.
From 1979 to 1983 the largest contract awarding centers in Africa was Ajaokuta and Abuja Federal Capital Territory development. Even though Abuja as the new capital of Nigeria is today a reality but we are yet to evaluate the economic value or otherwise to Nigerians but Ajaokuta has definitely not added any socioeconomic development value to our country.
This is an appeal to do something far more relevant and decisive on Ajaokuta and NIOMCO.
Bring 47 years of uncertainty to a decisive end.
Where is the iron and steel?
NIOMCO in Itakpe, 65km away from Ajaokuta steel complex with a connecting standard gauge railway infrastructure to evacuate beneficiated iron ore as feedstock to Ajaokuta and probably Alaja steel complex in Delta State.
Iron ore, feedstock have never been fully produced and delivered to Ajaokuta steel complex till date nor Alaja steel complex in Delta State.
The Ajaokuta steel company therefore has not been able to blast its uncompleted furnace. It has never ever produced liquid steel, rather it has produced more speeches, promises, hopes and visitations.
The Ajaokuta steel complex has never been able to agglomerate all the raw materials from limestone to manganese to cooking coal to ball clay to acid and ETC for steel production.
The four rolling mills within the Ajaokuta steel complex were partially completed and operated at great loss and they have remained ever stranded.
Memoranda after memoranda, technical committees have all failed to produce steel from the complex
For almost five decades, Nigerians have been told that Ajaokuta is almost ready.
Almost completed.
Almost operational.
Almost revived.
Almost producing.
