The move by the Federal Government to resume the execution of Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill has been thwarted by the advents of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has revealed.
Speaking Thursday while appearing on the weekly ministerial media briefing conducted by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he also conceded that the promise to deliver the project in 2022 is no longer feasible
He however, expressed the hope that something can be started on it that will be permanent.
The Minister revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of $2million for the conduct of a technical audit of the mill as demanded by Russi before the restart its implementation.
He said the Russian requested for the technical audit to ascertain the state of the facility before restarting work on the project.
However, according to him, just as arrangements were being made to commence the process, the Covid-19 came and put a halt to all activities and causing a force majeure.
He said as the government moved to continue the earlier negotiations with Russia following the lockdown, progress was again stopped by the outbreak of the
Russia-Ukraine war.
The Minister maintained that the approved $2million is still intact as it has not been paid out.
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