Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar
27 December 2011
Nigeria is targeting producing 100,000 tons of aluminium annually starting from 2013, Minister of Mines and Steel Development Musa Sada has said.
Sada said while inaugurating a committee that would facilitate the production of aluminium and aluminium products that the country is expected to “meet the production target of 100,000 tons of aluminium per annum by year 2013 in line with the target set for the ministry in the Transformation Agenda of the President.”
The committee was inaugurated after a meeting between officials of the ministry and representatives of UC Rusal Aluminium Smelter Company, Ikot Abasi, to liaise with the company to achieve the objective.
At the meeting, Sada reiterated the need for the company to keep the ministry abreast of its operations and draw the ministry’s attention to whatever challenges it encounters in its operations.
“We should have a sustained dialogue. If we have a sustained dialogue, we will be able to assist your company to work very well because the Ministry is helping to supervise and oversee your operations. If there are problems, they have to be solved through dialogue and necessary actions to enable the company succeed in its production,” he said.
Earlier, leader of the UC Rusal delegation Mr. Vitaliy Kuznetsov said the essence of their visit was to seek the assistance of the ministry in addressing the challenges posed to their smooth operations.
Mr. Mikhail Kosarev who made a presentation on behalf of the company disclosed that the company invested a total of N15 billion between 2007 and the first six months in 2011.
He said that since 2007 the company had produced more than 40,000 tons of aluminium, a sizeable proportion of which it exports to the international market.
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