To revive Nigeria’s dormant steel industry, a high-level delegation led by Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, Minister of Steel Development, and Joseph Tegbe, Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), has held strategic talks with Sino Steel, one of China’s largest steel conglomerates.
The meeting, which focused on charting a realistic path for the revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, marks a major step toward unlocking one of Nigeria’s most important industrial assets.
Discussions revolved around the technical, operational, and financial models needed to return the facility to full-scale productivity.
Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, industrialization, infrastructure development, and increased local content are high on the federal government’s priority list. Ajaokuta—originally designed with a 1.9 million tonne annual capacity and potential to expand to 5 million tonnes—is seen as a lynchpin for boosting sectors such as construction, automotive manufacturing, and heavy equipment production.
Describing the engagement, NCSP’s Joseph Tegbe said: “The discussions were strategic, technical, and action-oriented. This collaboration reflects a strong alignment between Nigerian economic aspirations and China’s industrial expertise.”
Sino Steel, for its part, expressed strong interest in the project and committed to dispatching a technical team to Nigeria in the coming weeks for a full viability assessment of the Ajaokuta plant. Based on its findings, the company will present a phased roadmap for modernization, production optimization, and long-term sustainability.
Minister Audu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reviving Ajaokuta through partnerships rooted in credibility and competence. “We are determined to move beyond rhetoric and deliver a steel sector that drives national industrial growth and global competitiveness,” he said.
This development is part of broader Nigeria-China cooperation, as both nations deepen their strategic alliance on infrastructure, manufacturing, and industrial development—consistent with the shared visions of Presidents Tinubu and Xi Jinping.
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