The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has denied media claims that the Federal Government is planning to transfer over the Ajaokuta Steel Plant to a British company.
He went on to say that a Nigerian company that is a partner of a British company has offered to conduct a free technical assessment of the steel plan.
‘Adegbite clears the air on Ajaokuta rehabilitation,’ according to a news release published by the ministry on Monday.
The statement read in part, “To correct the false narratives that were carried by some media outlets on Ajaokuta Steel Plant and the purported hand over to a British firm, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, stated that at no time did he say that the Federal Government was handing over Ajaokuta to a British firm for rehabilitation.
“The minister clarified that a local Nigerian firm with a British partner had expressed interest in carrying out the technical audit for free with no preconditions.”
“Meanwhile, a local firm in cooperation with a British company has offered to undertake the technical audit at no expense to Nigeria and with no preconditions,” the minister was cited as saying in the release. This was my statement at the statehouse press conference, not that Ajaokuta would be given over to a British firm for rehabilitation.”
In order to undertake the technical audit, the Federal Government had been in contact with a Russian firm, Messrs TPE.
The proposed strategy, however, has been hampered by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
The minister went on to say that after the technical audit is over, the results will be shared with all interested investors and potential partners in the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant.
