The President Bola Tinubu administration has emphasised the importance of developing the country's steel industry, saying it is the backbone of modern infrastructure which underpins industrial development and supports other sectors to thrive.

The minister of state for steel development, Mallam Uba Maigari Ahmadu, who stated this in his keynote address at the closing of the 5th Edition of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD) yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State, said that developing the steel industry is not just an economic imperative for Nigeria, but a vital national mission towards the country's present and future wellbeing.

He said: “We are at a pivotal moment in Nigeria's history. Our population is young, dynamic, and hungry for progress. Our resources, from the iron ore beneath our feet to the boundless talent within our borders, are unparalleled. Yet, in the words of Mr. President – we must harness these strengths strategically to build a future where prosperity is shared, and where the benefits of our mineral wealth flow not just to a select few, but to every corner of this great nation.

Also speaking, Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the state recently registered five special purpose vehicles (SPVs) as part of its measures to acquire viable mining sites and make the state a major producer of solid minerals in Nigeria.

He said each of the 16 local government areas of the state is blessed with abundant viable mineral resources and in commercial quantities, inviting investors to tap into the natural endowments.

AbdulRazaq said, “We plan to establish a standard mineral market in the state, where all minerals mined from our state will first be registered here before they are transported to other places,” he said.

The governor commended the choice of Kwara to host the council, hoping that resolutions reached at the end of the meeting will rev up development in the sector.

He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the bold investments to diversify the economy.

“The need to diversify the economy and harness potentials in the solid mineral and other sectors cannot be overemphasised. The excessive reliance on oil has proven to be unhelpful for our country, and I'm glad we appear to have learnt our lessons.

“I appeal to the Ministers present, the DG MCO, DG NGSA to give us all necessary assistance to actualise our dream of becoming a major solid mineral producing state in the country,” he added.

In his remarks, the minister of State for Mines and Steels Development, Uba Maigari said steel is the backbone of modern infrastructure and the foundation upon which other sectors thrive, adding that the industry is key for job creation, community empowerment, and diversification of the economy.

Despite the fact that the sector is facing hurdles ranging from ageing infrastructure to an uncertain global market, the challenges are an invitation to innovate, collaborate, and think beyond the ordinary, Maigari said.

“That is why I am here today to call on all of you — miners, manufacturers, investors, policy makers, researchers, citizens and businessmen alike — to join hands in a national mission to revitalise our steel industry,” Maigari added.

Earlier, the Kwara State commissioner for Solid Mineral Development, Abdulqowiyu Olododo, had said the state government is collaborating with security agencies to ensure the safety of investors within the Kwara borders.

“I use this opportunity to convey to our esteemed guests that we are wholeheartedly committed to the advancement of solid minerals, thereby harnessing the economic potentials of valuable minerals such as gold, tantalite, and lithium, which are abundant in our state,” he said, adding that a framework is in place to facilitate works in the state without encroaching upon the existing Federal Mining Act,” Olododo stated.