The
Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria Valeriy Aleksandruk has disclosed that
his country is ready to invest $1 billion into Ajaokuta Steel Company in
order to revive the plant.
The
Ambassador who made this known in Abuja on Wednesday, May 4, 2016
during a courtesy call on the Acting Director General of the Bureau of
Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr. Vincent Onome Akporaire said the Ukrainian
company that built the plant -Tiajpromexport (TPE) - has presented a
proposal to the Federal Government to that effect.
He
said the Steel Complex has a lot of potentials which his country wanted
to take advantage of; and that already, meetings have been held with
relevant stakeholders in Nigeria for the realization of the planned
takeover of the plant.
Aleksandruk
said Ukraine has a very good relationship with Nigeria, especially with
economic and trade investments, while noting that there is a big
Nigerian community in Ukraine. The Ambassador further noted that Ukraine
is ready to “open a new page in its relationship with Nigeria” and
pledged to assist the Bureau in its training needs to become a foremost
privatisation agency in Africa.
In
his response, the Acting Director General of the BPE, Dr. Vincent Onome
Akpotaire said the Bureau would review the proposal by the Ukrainian
Government and that of Morgan Stanley, the multinational financial
services firm that would provide the $1bn investment before taking the
next steps. He added that the Federal Government is desirous to get the
Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the Nigerian Iron Ore Mill Company
(NIOMCO) Itakpe running.
Akpotaire
urged the Ukrainian Government to invest in other sectors of the
Nigerian economy, especially in developing the downstream of the steel
sector that would service several sectors including the automobile
sector.
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