Post #80

🇳🇬 The Plight of Nigeria's Steel 🌏 Nigeria is reportedly seeking Chinese partnership in another attempt to revitalize the Ajaokuta Steel Plant and the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), out of action since the 20th century. 🇷🇺 In September 2024 Nigeria already signed an agreement with Russian Tyazhmashpromexport (TPE), the original builders of Ajaokuta, with the same objectives. Due to constraints as a result of the Russia–Ukraine war, we are now exploring partnership with the People’s Republic of China for the revitalisation of both ASCL and NIOMCO, said the country's Minister of Steel Development. Ajaokuta project is a child of hard luck and soft managers: ♦️ After construction Ajaokuta was taken from TPE, which was going through countless hardships resulting from the collapse of the USSR ♦️ Then in 2003 American SOLGAS was awarded the concession, but lost it less than a year later ♦️ Since 2004 the plant fell into the hands of Indian Global Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd, which eventually also failed to kick off production at Ajaokuta Now it's the Chinese's turn to try their luck in place where the rest of the world has not succeded. Today Nigeria is in dire need of this plant because it still doesn't have its own production of materials for military hardware. However, initially it was seen as a potential driver of the country's industrialization, that never happened. In my first presidency, there was the general belief that steelmaking was at the heart of industrialisation. India had built the first steel plant with Russian help, and they built their second almost without help, noted the then-president Obasanjo. Devils Below