.…Steel industry is paramount to economic growth of any country, says Dr. Ibezim
By Victor Akaa, Abuja
The indispensability of Steel Industry to the growth of any nation has being highlighted by the Chairman, Governing Board of National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos, Dr Sabastian Ibezim.
The Chairman made this assertion while answering questions from the press crew of NMDC after the Board’s regular meeting at the centre.
A statement released to News headquarter by Sunny Eweama, Technical Assistant to DG/CE on Media and Public Relations NMDC, JOS quoted Dr. Ibezim as saying that “Nigeria is blessed to have NMDC as a Solid Mineral Research and Development Centre with the right facilities to revamp the economy through metallurgical and beneficiation processes”.
Ibezim applauded the creative and revolutionary strides of the Director General/Chief Executive of the center Engr. Prof. Linus Asuquo and his team for bringing the centre to an international standard within one year of his leadership.
He called on the FG and investors to harness the potential of the centre to move the metal and Steel industry to enviable height.
Dr Ibezim decried poor funding of the center by the Federal Government as the major challenge militating against the rapid development of the centre.
The Chairman appealed to FG to increase the financial subventions to the centre which according to him will motivate the DG/CE and his team to do more in their developmental strides.
Earlier the Director- General/Chief Executive of NMDC, Jos, Engr. Prof Linus Asuquo while welcoming the board members on their two- regular meeting, 27th to 28th Nov. 2019 thanked President Mohammadu Buhari for fishing out and appointing men of credible and visionary qualities to stair the boat the center as board members.
He said that with the resuscitation of Ajaokuta Steel Company in sight, it was pertinent to have more investors,Institution of higher learning and similar research institutes to partner with the Center in order to give Ajaokuta the needed assistance when fully operational.
Asuquo said that with proper funding and encouragement,the center is poised to contributing in no small measure towards the realization of Mr President’s move of bringing out more than one hundred Nigerians out of poverty in few years time.
