Nigerian Government inaugurates committee to facilitate aluminum production

Mr. Musa Mohammed Sada
The Nigerian Minister  of  Mines and Steel Development,

Nigerian Government inaugurates committee to facilitate aluminum production

The Nigerian Minister  of  Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Musa Mohammed Sada,  has  inaugurated  a  technical  committee to  facilitate the  production  of  aluminum and  aluminum  products  in  the  country.

The committee is to liaise with United Company Rusal Aluminium Smelter Company at Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State in southern Nigeria.

The  committee  was  inaugurated  after  a  meeting  between  officials  of  the  ministry,  led  by  the minister  and  representatives  of  United Company Rusal Aluminium Smelter Company in  his office in  Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Task

Mr Sada  said  that  the  technical  committee  was  inaugurated  for the minerals  and  metals  sector  to  meet  the  production  target  of  100,000 tonnes  of  aluminium  per  annum  by 2013.

The minister said: “We should have a sustained dialogue. If  we  have  a  sustained  dialogue,  we  will  be  able  to  assist  your  company  to  work  very  well  because  the  ministry  is   helping  to  supervise  and  oversee  your  operations. If  there  are  problems, they  have  to  be solved  through  dialogue  and  necessary  actions  to  enable  the  company to succeed  in  its  production.”

Challenges

Mr Sada identified  irregular gas  supply, intermittent electricity supply,  the  need to dredge the  Imo River  and  labour  union issues as the  company’s  operational  challenges.

He however said they could always be addressed through interaction  and  dialogue  with  the  company’s  management  and  other  relevant  government  agencies  at  both  the  state  and  federal  levels.

The  minister  expressed satisfaction  over  the  meeting, which he said provided  an  opportunity  for  both  parties  to  re-connect  on  how  progress  could  be  made  on  the  issue  of  increased  production  of  aluminum  in  the  country.

Sada  said the government  took  the  decision  to  privatise  the  Aluminum Smelter  Company  because  it  wanted  good  results and because government  was  interested  in  the progress of the company.

NP/Adekusibe/Cokey