MINISTER OF STEEL DEVELOPMENT, PRINCE SHUAIBU ABUBAKAR AUDU, PAYS COURTESY VISIT TO GOV. SIMINALAYI FUBARA IN PORT HARCOURT …Attends Night of Tribute for mother of Mr. Atedo Nari Atowari Peterside The Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara, at the Rivers State Government House, Port Hacourt on Thursday, August 22, 2024, while on a visit to the state. Prince Audu, who was in Port Harcourt to attend the burial ceremony of the late Princess Patricia Gboloba Awune Peterside (nee Bob-Manuel), mother of Mr. Atedo Peterside CON, Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, thanked the Governor for the hospitality accorded to him and his team. The Honourable Minister lauded Gov. Fubara for the infrastructural as well as other developmental projects he has carried out in the state within one year and his support for the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR in transforming Nigeria. Attending the night of tribute of the late Princess Patricia Peterside, the Honourable Minister commiserated with the entire Peterside family over the loss of their matriarch, urging them to take solace in the fact that she lived a long and fulfilled life and bearing children that have contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria both in private and public service. Prince Audu, in his tribute, said that although he never met the late Princess Peterside before her passing, he was aware of her diligence and dedication to duty, a trait she instilled in her son, Mr. Atedo Peterside, who played a significant role in his life as his first employer and mentor at Investment Banking & Trust Company Limited (later Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC). The Honourable Minister added that working under Mr. Peterside gave him the opportunity to benefit from all the virtues the late Matriarch instilled in his boss, which have been very helpful in enabling him deliver on his mandate as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through professionalism, corporate governance and attention to detail amongst others. Prince Audu prayed for God Almighty to grant the deceased eternal rest and paradise. In attendance at the event were: His Majesty, Dr. Disraeli Gbobo Bob-Manuel, Paramount Ruler of Abonnema Kingdom, Rivers State; Mr. Dakuku Peterside, former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Tonye Cole, Co-Founder and former Group Executive of Sahara Energy and 2023 Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial Candidate; Mrs. Sola David-Borha, former CEO, Standard Bank Africa and Stanbic IBTC Holdings; Mr. Yinka Sanni, CEO, Standard Bank Africa as well as the Peterside family. Others were Justice Funmilayo Atilade, former Chief Judge of Lagos State, among many other dignitaries.

MINISTER OF STEEL DEVELOPMENT MEETS CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PRESIDENTIAL CNG INITIATIVE ...Discuss operational modalities of setting up a CNG Park within the prospective Ajaokuta Industrial Park The Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu met with Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, Program Director/Chief Executive Officer, Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGI) in Abuja on Wednesday to discuss setting up a CNG park within the Ajaokuta Industrial Park. Prince Audu reemphasised the fact that one of the paramount objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, under the 'Renewed Hope Agenda’ is the CNG Initiative, which is very critical following the removal of petroleum subsidies, and would reduce transportation costs by at least 40 percent. The Honourable Minister said that the Ministry of Steel Development is collaborating with the P-CNGI to set up a CNG park within the proposed Industrial Park in Ajaokuta which is underway, to drive the CNG initiatives of Mr. President. “Mr. President has given a mandate that he wants a minimum of one million CNG vehicles on the road by 2027. So, there is a lot of work that needs to be done, and everything that we need to partner with the federal government under the CNG initiative are available in Ajaokuta. “One of the things we are also doing is the industrial park in Ajaokuta, where various categories of companies will be under the industrial park within Ajaokuta. So, the CNG park will be one of the many components of the soon-to-be Ajaokuta Industrial Park. “Everything to actualize the CNG initiative and conversions are available in Ajaokuta, and so plugging in the CNG initiative is very viable; there is gas there, an engineering workshop is there, and a tools workshop to facilitate the construction or assemblies of the kits is also there. “Mr. President is indeed very excited about this initiative and the partnership between the Ministry and the P-CNGI, which drives the plans of industrialising Nigeria, diversifying and growing the economy, and creating jobs under the renewed initiatives,” Prince Audu said. The Honourable Minister of Steel Development commended Engr. Olugbemi for the excellent job he is doing in actualizing the CNG initiative of Mr. President. Mr. Olugbemi said that the Steel Industry is an absolute necessity for the actualization of the CNG initiative, adding that steel components are at the very heart of the project. Olugbemi said that establishing the CNG park in Ajoakuta will be an evolution from importing some of the components to manufacturing them. This, he further explained, will address some of the challenges with transporting the CNG components into the country. “The journey with the Ministry of Steel Development was critical from day one, and Ajaokuta is a hub with access to raw materials. We have hit the ground running already and are optimistic about excellent collaborations with the Ministry,” Olugbemi said. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu lauded the initiative commending the partnership between the Ministry and P-CNGI, pledging the support of the Ministry and its team. Engr. Sumaila Abdul- Akaba, Sole Administrator, Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited said that the project was a welcome development to Ajaokuta especially in the revival phase of the company. He assured P-CNGI of the cooperation of the steel company In bringing to fruition the realization of the project.

MINISTER OF STEEL DEVELOPMENT VISITS LEADING INDIGENOUS STEEL PRODUCER, KAM INDUSTRIES, SAYS FG KEEN ON ENCOURAGING INDIGENOUS PLAYERS ...Kwara Governor and Chairman Nigeria’s Governors Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrasak expresses confidence in Prince Audu As the Federal Government commits to industrialising Nigeria through the Steel and Metals Sectors, the Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, embarked on a two-day working visit to leading indigenous player, KAM Industries in Kwara and Ogun States. The two-day visit of the Honourable Minister from May 7 to May 8 2024, to KAM’s steel production factories in Jimba Oja, Kwara State, and Sagamu in Ogun State aims to assess the steel production by the company. Prince Audu, during his courtesy call to the governor of Kwara State and Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors Forum, Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrasak CON, reiterated the commitments of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to reviving the nation’s Steel and Metals Industry in a bid to diversify and grow the Nigerian economy to over one trillion dollars before the end of his administration. The Honourable Minister further noted that his visit to KAM Steel, a subsidiary of KAM Holding, is also to encourage indigenous players in Nigeria’s steel sector, commending the Chairman and Group Managing Director of the company, Alhaji Kamoru Yusuf MON, for such massive investments, which has significantly contributed to Nigeria’s economy by employing over 20,000 Nigerians and pumping hundreds of billions of Naira into the economy. “My visit to Kwara State is to encourage indigenous players in the steel industry. We have been discussing across board with some foreign investors that are interested in coming to Nigeria, but I also thought it imperative to also associate, pay a visit, and support indigenous players that are doing extremely well in the steel and metals industry in Nigeria. KAM Holding is the leading indigenous steel company in Nigeria. “Under the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, one of his cardinal objectives is to grow the size of Nigeria’s GDP to over 1 trillion dollars by the end of his second term in office. And part of what we have to do to enable us to achieve that is to focus on industrialization. “Industrialization has the capacity to create millions of jobs, and Mr. President wants to provide more than 80 million jobs for Nigerians over the next eight years of his administration, and the steel industry is going to play a very key role in that regard. “So, under the eight-point agenda of Mr. President, certain things have to be put in place to ensure that Nigeria is working for Nigerians. “I am here to first of all pay my respect and acknowledge the Executive Governor of Kwara State for doing such a wonderful job across the sub-sectors of the economy for the people of Kwara,” Prince Audu said. In his remarks, the Executive Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of Nigeria's Governors' Forum, Mal. AbdulRahman Abdulrazak, commended the Honourable Minister for the visit to the site to see for himself the true facts before setting up policies for moving the industry forward. Gov. Abdulrazak also expressed confidence in the leadership of Prince Audu as Minister to get the steel industry of the country right, urging the ministry to consider including KAM Holdings as an indigenous partner in its revival plans for Ajaokuta. “Kwara holds the second largest steel production in Nigeria through the activities of KAM Holdings, led by Alhaji Kamaru Yusuf. We hold him in high esteem here; his investment is in trillions of naira. "Making Ajaokuta work is an albatross, which we are confident you will unite the issues there. Without getting the steel sector right, Nigeria cannot be industrialised," Gov. Abdulrazak said. In her welcome address, the Vice Chairman, KAM Holding Ltd, Dr. Iyadunni Bolanle Yusuf, revealed that in the past, the steel sector was dominated by foreign owned companies until KAM Holding Ltd came on the scene, noting that KAM Holding Ltd is home to manufacturing companies of liquid, iron, and steel products that are wholly owned by Nigerians. Dr. Iyadunni Bolanle Yusuf appealed to the Ministry to ensure it protects the indigenous steel manufacturing sector, as it plays a critical role in the growth and development of the country by providing materials for building infrastructure, automobiles, engineering, defence, and being the bedrock of industrialisation. The Honourable Minister also paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.