APC Presidential Aspirant: Ajaokuta Steel Project Will Be Bedrock of Industrialisation If…

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

A presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ibrahim Bello Dauda, has stated that if elected as president, he will make the Ajaokuta steel project in Kogi State the bedrock of his industrialisation agenda for Nigeria.

Dauda made this known while speaking to journalists on the state of the nation and his hope for the future in Lokoja, the state capital, at the weekend.

The former coordinator of the Buhari Support Organisations (BSO) said his multi-varied  professional background, particularly in management consultancy and years of experience in practical politics has given him exceptional insight into Nigeria’s industrialisation needs and challenges.

He explained that while successive Nigerian Governments have made policies declarations on the project, noting that none of them had the political will and economic competence to walk the talk.

Dauda said: “Steel production is the bedrock of any real and sustainable industrialisation drive. And industrialisation is the only way to break Nigeria over dependence on oil, and make it an export-oriented economy.

“With steel production, we can compete with other industrialised advanced economies in the world. So if we must diversify to create jobs and increase revenue, we must embark on a large scale industrialisation which is based on steel production.

“We can see the role steel production plays in the economic advancement of Europe. We see how these countries are producing cars, ships, armaments and their likes. Steel can also be seeing in the making of large scale industrial equipment used in the manufacturing sector and even in service delivery.

“Steel production will make Nigeria to be reckoned with as global powers. So we need to revive the Ajaokuta steel project and build the requisite connecting infrastructure that will benefit our existing industries and transform them to world class standards. It will also lead to new innovations and large scale production.”

Dauda, who said zoning was not in the constitution of Nigeria and the APC, added that his government would focus on entrepreneurial development by transforming and empowering the existing institutions of governments, including the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

“Majority of our youths will be trained and their energies will be redirected towards the private sector, and we are going to remove most of the red tapes and bottlenecks in accessing funding.

“We are going to do a lot in liberalising and opening up of the economy in such a way that the common average Nigerian have the opportunity as long as you have an idea without the need to bribe your way or to look for a Godfather. All you need as a Nigerian is to have a positive idea of what you want to do and the government will create the enabling environment and the support, infrastructure and facility,” he stated.