Ajaokuta Steel revival: Coalition rejects ‘empty promises’

•Demands concrete roadmap after landmark gas deal

A powerful coalition of civil society organisations has dismissed recent investment tours and pledges for Nigeria’s long-dormant Ajaokuta Steel Company as insufficient, calling instead for an urgent, transparent, and time-bound implementation roadmap to finally revive the multi-billion-dollar facility.

The coalition for the Revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company acknowledged government efforts to attract foreign investment, but warned that years of tours, photo opportunities and announcements have yielded little progress. “Nigerians deserve to know the concrete steps being taken,” the group said in a statement. “The country cannot afford further delays on this critical national project.”

The steel complex, conceived as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial revolution, has remained largely idle since construction began in 1979, despite massive investments. Stakeholders describe it as a painful symbol of unrealised industrial potential.

However, a significant step forward was announced recently with the signing of a historic 20-year Gas Supply Agreement between Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Professor Nasir Abdulsalam, Managing Director and CEO of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, signed the deal on behalf of the firm. For the first time in decades, the plant has secured guaranteed, uninterrupted gas supply — long identified by investors as the single biggest missing requirement for restarting operations.

The agreement forms part of six strategic gas deals signed by NNPCL on the sidelines of the NOG Energy Week in Abuja. These include memoranda of understanding, gas supply contracts, and transportation agreements aimed at expanding domestic gas utilisation and accelerating industrial growth.

Under the Ajaokuta-specific arrangement, the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria will provide a guaranteed daily supply of gas, plus additional interruptible volumes, to support steel production. The partnership also extends to manufacturing steel pipes for major infrastructure projects such as the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline and the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System expansion.

While welcoming the gas deal, the coalition stressed that it must translate into actual production. The group urged the Federal Government to publish a detailed revival roadmap with clear timelines, measurable milestones, adherence to procurement laws, promotion of local content, technology transfer, and an independently monitored financing framework.

“As 2027 approaches, Nigerians will judge the government based on tangible achievements rather than promises,” the coalition warned. The organisations expressed readiness to collaborate with the government, National Assembly, and other stakeholders to ensure success.

Industry analysts have hailed the gas agreement as potentially the most significant breakthrough in Nigeria’s industrial history in decades.

With reliable energy secured, expectations are rising for: thousands of direct and indirect jobs in construction, mining, logistics, and manufacturing sectors; reduction in steel imports, which currently drain billions of dollars in foreign exchange annually; boost to downstream industries, including automotive, construction, and rail projects that rely on affordable locally produced steel; increased investor confidence, with local and foreign partners expected to commit to completing and operating the plant.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bayo Ojulari described the broader suite of gas agreements as a major milestone in Nigeria’s gas-based industrialisation drive.

“Gas remains a critical driver of economic transformation — powering industries, creating jobs, enhancing energy security, and generating sustainable revenue,” he said.

For millions of Nigerians who have waited 46 years for Ajaokuta to fulfil its promise, the latest developments offer renewed hope. The “sleeping giant” of Nigerian industry may finally be stirring, but stakeholders insist that only visible action and measurable progress will restore faith in the project.

The Federal Government is now under pressure to move swiftly from agreements to actual steel production at Ajaokuta.