The Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) on Tuesday stressed the urgent need to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Company, recognising its vital role in advancing the country’s technology sector.
It stressed the importance of integrating emerging technologies into governance to drive meaningful change.
NIEEE President, Felix Olu, disclosed this during the 20th International Conference and Exhibition on Power and Telecommunications in Abuja, expressing optimism that with continued government commitment, the factory could soon resume operations.
He called for action to highlight the need for government support in revitalising key industries to foster innovation and economic growth in Nigeria.
He said: “We all know how long it has taken, especially our biggest steel company, Ajaokuta Steel Company. So there’s a lot of work to be done to revive it. Because as electrical engineers, we want to model things, we want to produce some electrical products.
“We will probably put them in a steel frame, but we cannot produce that. So that is affecting us. But we know very well that if the government continues at the pace they are going, that factory will be up again, and we will be able to move forward in terms of technology and productivity.”
Olu pointed out that solutions exist within the emerging technologies ecosystem, but effective governance must include all stakeholders to make a real impact.
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He added: “So we discovered that governance needs to really look deeper into the emerging technologies ecosystem to be able to work with professionals across all professional lines to make a difference in the problems that we have.
“Every area of our challenges in Nigeria has technologies already available that can provide solutions. But as long as governance is not carrying everybody along and not broad enough to engage all stakeholders, we will continue to struggle with it.
“This year’s theme serves as a platform to bring government officials and professionals together to discuss the application of emerging technologies.
“We must create policies and laws that facilitate progress in Nigeria, particularly in electronic and energy technologies, to harness their full potential for our development.”
