Bitrus Kozah, Jos
Nigeria’s Ministry of Steel Development is to strengthen its oversight of the National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC) to ensure its programmes and activities align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The assurance was given by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, after concluding a two-day familiarisation visit to the NMDC in Jos, Plateau State.
The visit was aimed at also aligning mandates, identifying gaps, promoting synergy, and generating policy inputs to drive metallurgical and industrial development in Nigeria.
During the tour, Isokpunwu and his delegation received a strategic briefing on the NMDC’s mandate, achievements, and ongoing programmes.
They inspected core research and metallurgical facilities to identify areas requiring improvement, while also reviewing critical challenges, resource gaps, and areas that need Federal Government intervention.
Isokpunwu stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between the Ministry and the NMDC. “The collaboration between the Ministry and NMDC will be strengthened to ensure alignment with national metallurgical and industrial development goals,” he said.
He also underscored the Ministry’s role in guiding policy direction. “Our commitment to effective oversight and policy guidance is reflected in this visit, to ensure that NMDC’s programmes directly contribute to the Federal Government’s industrialisation agenda,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary was accompanied on the visit by the Director of Human Resources Management, Mrs. Ijeoma Idika, alongside other technical directors and aides from the Ministry.
The Director General of the NMDC, Linus Asuquo, reaffirmed the Centre’s position as Nigeria’s premier research institution in minerals and steel development.
Asuquo highlighted some of the Centre’s achievements since 2019, noting significant progress in research, facility maintenance, and institutional collaborations, adding that the NMDC has initiated and sustained partnerships with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Nasarawa State University Keffi, and Mintek South Africa.
He said that the Centre has generated ₦3.39 million in revenue and completed key capital projects, including the Heat Treatment Plant. Ongoing research also includes melting cast iron scrap and producing grinding plates with potential applications across industries.
Asuquo described the Permanent Secretary’s visit as a turning point.
“This visit marks a new dawn of collaboration, progress, and renewed hope for NMDC Jos and the Nigerian steel industry. We look forward to continued support and engagement with the Ministry to fully realise our mandate as the technical driver of Nigeria’s steel and industrial development,” he said.
The engagement reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to revitalising Nigeria’s steel and metallurgical sector as a foundation for national industrial growth.
PIAK