The Federal Government has inaugurated committees to draft national policy on welding and related fields, and national status survey on welding and related fields saddled with the mandate of reviving the nation’s steel industry.
On the occasion today (May 6, 2021), the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said government was carrying out serious, intense and sustained efforts to revive the steel industry so as to improve the socio-economic fortunes of the country, pointing out that government would leave no stone unturned to achieve the revitalisation of the industry.
“In addition to the desire of the government to promote rapid industrialisation, serious efforts are on-going to revive the steel industry in the country, because of the vital role steel plays in both welding activities and overall economic development,” he said.
Onu further emphasised government’s recognition of the importance of welding to the overall fortunes of the country.
“When we look at welding, it is easy for us to forget that we cannot build cars, buses, locomotive wagons, boats, ships, submarines, gas pipelines, equipment for deep water exploration, weapons to defend the nation etc. These policies will among many other things keep Nigerian jobs for Nigerians and reduce capital flight arising from the importation of skilled personnel,” he added.
Onu further emphasised that as a result of this policy, no job that can be executed by Nigerians will be allowed to be taken by foreigners.
Earlier, the president of the Nigerian Institute of Welding, Solomon Edebiri, said the welding profession plays a significant role in the industrialisation of the nation’s economy, adding the policy would encourage and promote the utilisation of local welding personnel.
The director-general of the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM), Prof. Okechukwu Ukwuoma, said the welding profession has a potential of developing the nation’s economy to the tune of $8-10 billion annually and emphasised the need for enhancement of wielding capability as a vital tool in economic development.
