{"id":122709,"date":"2025-10-02T21:52:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T20:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=122709"},"modified":"2025-10-02T21:52:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T20:52:25","slug":"ajaokuta-will-work-despite-dangotes-graveyard-remark-lawmaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/ajaokuta-will-work-despite-dangotes-graveyard-remark-lawmaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Ajaokuta Will Work Despite Dangote\u2019s \u2018Graveyard\u2019 Remark \u2014 Lawmaker"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Oscar Okhifo<\/div>\n
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A member of the House of Representatives Hon. Sani Egidi Abdulraheem, has reassured constituents and Nigerians that the long-abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Company will soon be revived, dismissing billionaire Aliko Dangote\u2019s recent remark that the project is a \u201cgraveyard\u201d that will never work.<\/div>\n
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Speaking during Nigeria\u2019s 65th Independence anniversary, Abdulraheem, who represents Ajaokuta Federal Constituency, Kogi State urged Nigerians to keep faith with the Federal Government\u2019s plans.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0He praised President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to resuscitating the steel giant, saying Ajaokuta will \u201ccome alive again, this time for real.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The lawmaker, however, berated Dangote\u2019s comments as \u201creckless and provocative,\u201d cautioning that respected citizens should refrain from making statements capable of dampening national morale or sowing division.<\/div>\n
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The House of Representatives had recently expressed optimism that ongoing rehabilitation efforts backed by Tinubu\u2019s administration, would see Ajaokuta return to full operations within the next year.<\/div>\n
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Already, the Federal Government has unveiled a three-year roadmap requiring between $2 billion and $5 billion in funding, with Russia\u2019s Tyazhpromexport (TPE) and other international partners lined up to provide technical and financial support.<\/div>\n
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Ajaokuta\u2019s new Managing Director, Prof. Nasir Naeem Abdulsalam, said recent audits showed the plant remains in relatively strong condition, though modernization and upgrades to its control systems are necessary.<\/div>\n
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Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, has also described the paralysis of the project as \u201cbeyond an economic failure,\u201d warning that it has now become \u201ca threat to national sovereignty.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Despite renewed assurances, skepticism remains widespread. For decades, successive governments have promised to revive Ajaokuta but with little to show for it, leading critics to brand it \u201cNigeria\u2019s refineries in steel clothing\u201d, a money pit that consumes billions without delivering results.<\/div>\n
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While some experts argue the technology at Ajaokuta is now obsolete, others counter that the same Soviet-era model still drives steel plants in Russia and India. For many Nigerians, the real issues have shifted from technical feasibility to political will, transparency, and accountability.<\/div>\n
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If fully revived, Ajaokuta Steel is projected to create over 500,000 jobs and significantly reduce Nigeria\u2019s 90 percent dependence on imported steel. Yet, for now, optimism remains tempered by a long history of unfulfilled promises and wasted resources.<\/div>\n
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Abdulraheem, however, insisted that this time would be different. \u201cThe story of Ajaokuta will not end in failure,\u201d he declared.<\/div>\n
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