By Muhammad Mamman
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has built an empire on cement and concessions. But his recent remarks branding the Ajaokuta Steel Company obsolete have sparked outrage, with critics accusing him of cynicism, hypocrisy, and subtle economic sabotage.
For decades, Ajaokuta has stood as Nigeria’s most ambitious yet unfinished industrial project. To dismiss it as “dead” is to undermine the nation’s drive for self-reliance. Industry watchers note that Dangote himself once acquired steel assets in Osogbo, only to let them collapse—a failure that casts doubt on his credibility to declare Ajaokuta unviable.
Globally, integrated steel plants of similar vintage still thrive. India’s Jamshedpur plant, founded in 1907, and others established in the 1950s, remain in operation through continuous upgrades. The technology at Ajaokuta—the Blast Furnace–Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF) process—still accounts for over 70% of global steel production. Experts argue that, with modernisation, the plant could operate efficiently for decades.
Dangote’s verdict, they say, is less about realism and more about protecting monopolies. While cement has delivered him fortune, steel—strategic but capital intensive—demands long-term national commitment rather than quick private profit.
Nigeria’s steel paralysis stems not from obsolete technology but from failed policies, botched privatisations, and vested interests. Critics point to a deliberate weakening of the sector to keep the country dependent on imports. Dangote’s comments, they argue, align with this legacy of sabotage.
The call now is for leadership. Just as General Ibrahim Babangida once declared Ajaokuta’s completion “a must” after visiting the plant in 1985, President Bola Tinubu is urged to tour the facility and weigh its potential before any verdict.
Ajaokuta is not merely a factory—it is the backbone of industrialisation, crucial for power, transport, defence, and manufacturing. To abandon it is to lock Nigeria into perpetual dependency.
“Steel is not dead. Ajaokuta is not obsolete. Its revival is not optional,” argues public affairs analyst Ben Abdul. “It is the project that will determine whether Nigeria remains a consumer nation or rises as an industrial power.”
