By Nkechi Eze
A coalition of civil society organisations advocating the revitalisation of Nigeria’s steel sector has announced plans to convene an international conference to examine the future of the long-abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Company and its place in the country’s industrial development agenda.
The conference, organised by the CSO Coalition for the Revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company, is scheduled to hold virtually on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the coalition, Mohammed Bougei Attah, the organisers said the conference will focus on the theme “Ajaokuta Phenomenon in Tinubu’s Era: A Turning Point or Another Missed Opportunity?”
Attah explained that the conference is coming at a critical moment in Nigeria’s economic and industrial trajectory and will interrogate the status, prospects and political commitment surrounding the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, widely regarded as the backbone of Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.
According to him, the event will bring together a broad range of stakeholders, including engineers, academics, labour leaders, international consultants, civil society actors and policy influencers from Nigeria and across the world. Participants are expected from countries including the United Kingdom, Russia, Canada, Belgium and The Gambia.
He noted that the wide international participation reflects the global significance of the Ajaokuta project and its potential role in positioning Nigeria as a competitive industrial hub if properly revived.
The coalition said the conference is designed to reignite national discourse on the strategic importance of the steel complex and to assess the commitment of the current administration under Bola Ahmed Tinubu toward its revival.
It also aims to provide a platform for evidence-based policy recommendations, strengthen civic advocacy for transparency and accountability in the management of the project, and mobilise both domestic and international support for actionable reforms in Nigeria’s steel sector.
Programme highlights for the event include opening remarks by Abdallah Sani of SOYUNIK Worldwide, representing a select group of engineers trained under the Nigeria–Russia partnership.
The conference will also feature a briefing by Attah, goodwill messages from labour leaders, international business figures and members of the academic community, as well as a keynote address by Banji Oyeyinka, a visiting fellow at The Open University in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, and a former staff member of the African Development Bank.
A high-level panel discussion involving experts in engineering, trade, civil society and human rights advocacy will also form part of the programme, alongside interactive sessions designed to allow public engagement and contributions.
The organisers said the conference will conclude with the presentation of a communiqué outlining key resolutions and advocacy demands aimed at advancing the revival of the steel complex.
For decades, the Ajaokuta Steel Company has remained a symbol of Nigeria’s industrial ambition as well as the governance challenges that have hindered its completion and operation. With the country seeking to diversify its economy, address unemployment and expand infrastructure development, the future of the steel complex continues to attract national attention.
According to the organisers, the upcoming conference represents an opportunity for civil society and key stakeholders to demand clarity, commitment and concrete action from government and partners regarding the long-awaited revival of the facility.
The CSO Coalition for the Revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company is a non-partisan alliance of civil society organisations established in 2019 to advocate the revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex as a catalyst for national development, job creation and economic transformation.
