A team of 60 experts from TYAZHPROMEXPORT (TPE), the Russian company that originally built the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, is on the way to Nigeria to conduct technical audit of Nigeria’s foremost iron and steel company to ascertain the level of work needed to be done; the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, has revealed.
The minister disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja. He said that Russian government had nominated TPE to conduct the technical audit to what remains to be done to be the company operational.
“The original builders of Ajaokuta Steel, TPE, are coming with the 60-man team to Nigeria to commence audit report of the company. I am in contact with them; we are making arrangements for their coming in line with Covid-19 protocol established in Nigeria. They will go through Nigerian protocol on Covid-19 when they arrive,” the minister said.
The accord to revive Ajaokuta steel company was reached during a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and President Vladimir Putin in Russia in 2019.
The foundation laying of Ajaokuta steel company was conducted in 1980 by the late President Shehu Shagari and within four years, the company recorded 84 per cent completion. The steel company, located on 24,000 hectares of sprawling green field landmass and built on 800 hectares of land over three decades ago, reached 98 per cent completion as far back as 1994.
