President Bola Tinubu recently assigned portfolios to ministers as part of efforts to drive his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda for Nigerians.
The president split the erstwhile Ministry of Mines and Steel Development into two: the Ministry of Steel Development and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
The development comes against the backdrop of Mr Tinubu’s promise during the campaigns to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Complex if elected as president. The rejigging of the ministry can thus be ascribed to the president’s commitment to prioritising the development of mineral resources in the country.
The new Ministry of Steel Development is expected to focus mainly on the moribund steel sector with the Ajaokuta Steel Complex as its flagship, while the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development will continue to play its oversight function as the sector’s regulator.
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