The Federal Government has intensified discussions with German manufacturers on investment and technology transfer in Nigeria’s steel and metallurgical industries, with emphasis on mineral processing, equipment manufacturing and the development of local industrial value chains.
The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, disclosed this on Thursday when he received a delegation of German Original Equipment Manufacturers led by the Head of VDMA-German OEMs, Dr Chux Onaa, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Audu, according to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Ijomah Opia, on Friday, said the engagement was aimed at translating previous discussions between Nigeria and Germany into concrete investment opportunities and industrial partnerships.
The minister recalled that both countries had discussed opportunities in steel development, mining, mineral processing, engineering and technology transfer during the 9th German-African Economic Forum held in Dortmund, Germany, earlier this year.
He said the visit by the German delegation reflected increasing interest in Nigeria’s industrial sector and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to partner with German companies in developing the country’s steel and metallurgical industries.
“Nigeria possesses significant mineral and metallurgical raw material resources, alongside a large and growing market with substantial opportunities for industrial development.
“The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Steel Development, is committed to creating an enabling environment for a competitive, technology-driven and sustainable steel industry capable of supporting infrastructure development, manufacturing, job creation and economic diversification,” Audu said.
He identified modern technology deployment, equipment manufacturing and supply, mineral processing, steel production, engineering services, capacity development and technology transfer as areas with significant potential for collaboration between Nigeria and German companies.
The minister added that the government was particularly interested in attracting German Original Equipment Manufacturers to ongoing and emerging projects within the country’s steel and metallurgical sectors.
“We are particularly interested in exploring opportunities for German Original Equipment Manufacturers to participate in ongoing and emerging projects within Nigeria’s steel and metallurgical sectors,” he stated.
Audu said stronger partnerships with German manufacturers could support the development of local industrial value chains and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported equipment and technologies.
He described the engagement as a significant step towards establishing a high-technology industrial partnership between both countries, expressing optimism that the discussions would lead to specific areas of investment and collaboration.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Amb. Nura Abba Rimi, said the engagement was aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Rimi noted that President Bola Tinubu established the Ministry of Steel Development as part of efforts to accelerate the revitalisation of the steel industry.
Earlier, Onaa said the German delegation was in Nigeria to build on existing discussions concerning investment and collaboration in the steel sector.
He said German OEMs possessed technologies capable of supporting the processing of raw materials for various industries, including cement and building materials.
The latest engagement comes amid the Federal Government’s efforts to revive Nigeria’s steel industry, expand manufacturing, create jobs, deepen local processing of mineral resources and diversify the economy beyond crude oil.
Germany’s established industrial manufacturing sector has made its engineering technologies and industrial equipment potentially relevant to Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen domestic industrial capacity and develop its steel and metallurgical value chains.
