By Abiodun Abdullai
Nigeria's ministry of steel development has announced plans to strengthen oversight of the national metallurgical development centre (NMDC) in Jos, Plateau state, to ensure its programmes align with president Bola Ahmed Tinubu's renewed hope agenda for industrial growth.
Permanent secretary of the ministry, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, disclosed this during a two-day familiarisation visit to the centre, where he assessed its facilities, programmes, and challenges. He emphasized that closer collaboration between the ministry and NMDC would provide policy direction needed to drive the nation's steel and metallurgical development.
"Our commitment to effective oversight is to ensure that NMDC's programmes directly contribute to the federal government's industrialisation agenda," Isokpunwu said, stressing the importance of bridging gaps and creating synergy for stronger national impact.
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Director general of the NMDC, Linus Asuquo, described the visit as a "turning point" for the centre, noting that NMDC had made progress in research, collaborations, and infrastructure upgrades. Since 2019, the centre has generated ₦3.39 million in revenue, completed projects such as the heat treatment plant, and advanced research in cast iron scrap melting and grinding plate production.
Asuquo added that NMDC has forged partnerships with the defence industries corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Nasarawa state university Keffi, and Mintek South Africa, highlighting the centre's relevance to industries ranging from defence to manufacturing.
He called the ministry's renewed commitment "a new dawn of collaboration and progress" that could position NMDC as the technical driver of Nigeria's steel and industrial development.
Industry watchers note that strengthening metallurgical research is critical for Nigeria's steel sector, which has struggled for decades despite its potential to power construction, defence, automotive, and small-scale manufacturing industries.
