The Minister of Mines and Steel Development,  Olamilekan Adegbite, says the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine war stalled planned take-off of full operation of Ajaokuta Steel Company.

In an interview on Sunday, Mr Adegbite said it was regrettable that the federal government could not keep its promise of ensuring full operation due to situations beyond its control.

He, however, said the present administration had already laid a solid foundation for full take-off of the steel company, hopefully by the next administration.

The minister said the federal government had in 2019 engaged Russia in fixing Ajaokuta and had hoped the operation would commence before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime in 2023.

“This is because we had a road map and a timeline, but as they often say in the common parlance, man proposes God disposes,” he said.

He said the plan was to start revamping the company in March 2020 by embarking on a technical audit.

The minister said the technical audit was meant to be the starting point that would outline all that was required to be done in Ajaokuta.

He said the Russians could not come because of the pandemic, adding that “we were actually expectant toward the end of 2020, then came the second wave of the pandemic.

“So, coming out in 2019 to promise Nigerians that the Ajaokuta will work, I think I owe it to Nigerians to come and apologise.

“There is the need to let Nigerians know that it is not because we did not want to do it, or we were just bragging but because of things that were beyond our control.

“So, we can no longer make Ajaokuta work before President Muhammadu Buhari will leave office, but we have started an irreversible process.” 

(NAN)