The director-general, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Jelani Aliyu, on Thursday commended the federal government for its plan to ensure the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill.
Aliyu made the commendation at the annual conference of Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN), in Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday agreed to put Nigeria-Russia relations on a fast track to ensure the completion of partially completed and abandoned projects initiated by both countries.
Buhari’s request for the return of Russia on a government-to-government relationship for completion and commissioning of Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill was accepted by Putin.
Aliyu said that if revived, the steel rolling mill would help to revive the automotive industry by encouraging local production of vehicles.
He said, “Majority of the vehicles have steel body, so it will help in their production locally.”
He also said completing the mill would encourage increased private sector involvement in car production.
“It is therefore, imperative to leverage on the moves by the federal government to produce cars at cheaper cost.”
Identifying that the automotive sector had a critical role to lift Nigeria out of poverty, Aliyu said 4,782 persons were currently employed in the sector.
“This means that 40,000 to 50,000 people are indirectly employed.”
(NAN)