By Fatima Saka
The Director General of the National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), Prof. Linux Asuquo, has urged the Federal Government to match its political will with concrete action to revive Nigeria’s steel industry, warning that the country’s industrial aspirations will remain a mirage without operational steel plants.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Prof. Asuquo commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pledge to transform Nigeria into a regional steel powerhouse, with targets of producing 10 million tonnes of liquid steel annually and creating over 500,000 jobs by 2030, but stressed that implementation, not endless policy debates, will determine success.
He lamented that Nigeria currently spends about $5 billion annually on steel imports, a cost he described as an unnecessary drain on foreign reserves.
“Implementation means steel must be poured and rolled, not just talked about,” he said. “If we can spend trillions of naira on politics, we can certainly channel the same commitment into steel. The president has shown political will; what’s left is to complete the steel plants, especially Ajaokuta.”
Prof. Asuquo maintained that reviving domestic steel production would drastically cut unemployment, generate wealth, and bolster foreign exchange reserves.
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While welcoming the creation of the Ministry of Steel Development, he warned that it must deliver measurable results and not merely serve as a political symbol.
“This is the third time we are having a steel department or ministry,” he noted. “This time, we must implement, not just create offices. The political will is there; now is the time to act.”
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