The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) is exploring feasible options to redress challenges facing operators in the metal sector.
Mr Edwin Opara, the ministry’s Director Press, said that the ministry would also assist private metal operators to create the necessary linkages required for rapid development of the sector.
According to him, the ministry is organising an all-inclusive stakeholders’ forum to avail metal operators in the South-South and other zones of the country the opportunity to interface with the Federal Government to address the challenges in the sector.
He said that the stakeholders’ forum would hold on April 16 and 17 in Asaba and would have as its theme, “Panacea for National Development and Imperative for Economic Diversification”.
Opara said that all metallurgical operators, chief executives, captains of industry, academia and all metallurgical professionals would participate in the forum.
The director of press said that the forum would provide the platform on which to discuss how to reposition the Nigerian metallurgical industry for economic diversification and industrialisation.
“The Forum which is the second Nigeria Metallurgical Industry stakeholders event is envisaged to reposition the Nigeria’s metallurgical industry for economic diversification and industrialisation,” he said.
Some of the areas that would be discussed at the forum are health safety and environment; sourcing and sustainable development of raw materials; failure analysis; and mechanical testing.