‘Importation threatens 100,000 jobs in steel sector’

The association’s General Secretary, Mr Titus Orimijupa, disclosed this in Lagos at the weekend, saying that the federal government has not demonstrated the requisite will power to arrest the development.Orimijupa said: “The proliferation of imported products has killed the industry and government lacks the willpower to stop the trend and to complete its iron and […]

The association’s General Secretary, Mr Titus Orimijupa, disclosed this in Lagos at the weekend, saying that the federal government has not demonstrated the requisite will power to arrest the development.
Orimijupa said: “The proliferation of imported products has killed the industry and government lacks the willpower to stop the trend and to complete its iron and steel sector transformation projects. If the foreign contractors are mandated to use locally produced steel, a lot of employment will be generated.”
He pointed out that the importation of any product was a direct way of creating employment for other countries while denying Nigerians employment opportunities, adding that the Ajaokuta Steel Company alone could employ 30,000 graduates and also create about 75,000 jobs for non-graduates.
He also called on the nation’s banks to provide the required capital for investment in the sector, stressing that the gestation period could be longer than in any other business.
The scribe urged the federal government to direct foreign contractors to use locally made steel in construction to create market for producers.