₦airaland Forum

Helinuse:
Also funny is how some people think that having a social media page will just cough out billions.

🤣🤣🤣

“God instructed him not to…”

You guys don’t know God.

Ah ah....as per God's PA that you are, you can say they don't know God, na only you sabi am. You can tell when someone hears God or not, and you can also determine if they are genuine or not. It's a strange thing to you to hear someone say God told him to do something noble...

You are making statements from a position of total ignorance and doing it so confidently.
A carnal minded person will always see true spiritual encounters as foolishness. Oga you lack the basic understanding of spiritual matters and I'm not talking about all the diabolical stuff that you guys engage in.

owobokiri:
They will still fight at home with pestle and chairs this night...

Normal, and still make passionate love afterwards...

Let's call this "The Nigerian Paradox".

lordopsy2018:
Ajaokuta steal comes to mind

Hopefully it doesn't end up like that

Good development. I hope they are able to see it through to completion.

FarahAideed:
Tell me one Ai model that's better than chatgpt... I use many

Never mind, we will begin a never ending cycle of arguments, and I don't have the strength. AI models are function specific in the sense that they perform best for what they are made for. So if it does your specific job well, it's the best for you.

femi4:
It's the best

I've used
Perplexity
Copilot
Claude ai
Gemini
Meta ai

And many more that can't remember...I keep falling back to chatgpt

You haven't even scratched the surface.

FarahAideed:
As someone who uses AI a lot I must tell you chatgpt is best hands down

No it isn't.

So many open source alternatives with better benchmarks. Anyway, I don't even use it

Kemetian:
I put your argument to AI ChatGPT:


''Considering China's cheap steel and maybe economies of scale, wouldn't Ajaokuta be an expensive alternative for Nigerian projects as opposed to importing steel from China?''

.................................

AI Response:


Fantastic question — and that’s one of the most critical debates in Nigerian industrial policy right now. You’re absolutely right to ask:

“If China’s steel is cheaper, why bother reviving Ajaokuta at all?”

It’s a smart, economic question — and the answer lies in understanding the difference between price and power.

Let’s break this down carefully and realistically 👇🏾

1. Yes — On Paper, Chinese Steel Is Cheaper

China produces over 1 billion tonnes of steel per year, while Nigeria produces close to 0.3 million tonnes.

That scale gives China:

Lower unit cost due to massive production volumes.

Government subsidies that keep prices low even when markets fluctuate.

Vertical integration — they control everything from mining to shipping.
So yes, a ton of Chinese steel might arrive at Apapa Port cheaper than what Ajaokuta could initially produce.

But that’s short-term affordability, not long-term value.


🔩 2. Cheap Imports = Expensive Dependency

Nigeria has learned this lesson the hard way — the same logic once made foreign oil refining cheaper, and the nation has spent billions importing fuel from abroad.

Imported steel looks cheaper until you calculate:

Lost jobs: Every ton of imported steel = Nigerian jobs exported.

Lost skills: No domestic engineers learning high-grade metallurgy.

Foreign exchange drain: Billions of dollars leave the economy annually.

Strategic vulnerability: In crises (wars, pandemics, sanctions), imports can stop — but local plants keep the economy running.

So Ajaokuta’s cost is economic independence — and independence is never cheap.


🏗️ 3. Ajaokuta Is Not Just About Price — It’s About Industrial Ecosystems

When Ajaokuta runs, it doesn’t just make steel. It triggers an industrial chain reaction:

- Iron ore mining at Itakpe (Kogi).

- Limestone and dolomite mining in Edo and Kwara.

- Rail transportation along the Warri–Ajaokuta–Itakpe corridor.

- Fabrication industries — automobiles, construction materials, defense, shipbuilding.

That creates hundreds of thousands of jobs and supports dozens of secondary industries.

China’s steel may be cheaper — but it doesn’t feed your youth, your engineers, or your sovereignty.


📈 4. Local Steel Keeps Wealth Circulating Inside Nigeria

When you import, you pay once and the money leaves forever.

When you produce locally:

Workers earn and spend salaries in local markets.

Nigerian banks finance logistics and equipment.

State governments collect taxes.

Local engineers and firms get contracts.

This is how a country multiplies its GDP from a single industry.

Even if local steel costs slightly more per ton, the national economy gains far more in growth and self-sufficiency.


5. Economies of Scale Can Be Achieved Over Time

Ajaokuta’s steel will be more expensive at first because of small-scale production and rehabilitation costs.

But once production ramps up:

Unit costs drop dramatically.

Upgrades like electric arc furnaces and digital controls improve efficiency.

Local raw materials (iron ore, limestone) make Nigerian steel naturally competitive.

In fact, Nigeria’s raw material cost base is lower than China’s — China imports a lot of its ore from Australia and Africa. Nigeria already has it beneath her feet.

So with sustained operation, Ajaokuta could reach price parity with imported steel within 5–8 years.


💰 6. There’s Also the Foreign Exchange Angle

Steel imports drain billions in dollars every year.

When Nigeria produces steel locally:

Those projects (rail, roads, buildings) can be financed in naira, not dollars.

That stabilizes the exchange rate and reduces import inflation.

It also gives Nigeria export potential to ECOWAS and AfCFTA countries — turning a former importer into a regional supplier.


⚡ 7. Cheap Imports Can Kill Your Industry — Permanently

This is what economists call the “infant industry trap.”

If you rely on cheap imports forever, your local industries never grow strong enough to compete.

This is what Western powers want — and what China itself avoided.

Remember: in the 1970s, Chinese goods weren’t cheap — China made them cheap through decades of investment, protection, and scale.

Nigeria can do the same if it protects Ajaokuta until it matures.


8. Strategic Reality Check

China’s cheap steel is a blessing and a risk.

Use it wisely in the short term to complete urgent infrastructure.

But don’t build national dependency on it.

Let Chinese firms help build Ajaokuta — not replace it.

That’s how China itself industrialized — using Western capital and tech without surrendering national control.


🗣️ Final Thought

“Imported steel may build your bridges — but only your own steel can build your nation.”

Ajaokuta might not compete on price right away, but it will win on principle, permanence, and power.

Because the real cost of dependency is invisible — until you can’t build without permission.

- AI

Not far from the truth.
Ask it what practical steps can be taken to revive the steel plant considering Nigeria's current political climate and international affiliations.

I see a lot of comments made out of ignorance and lack of adequate/insider information.

They can't sell the plant, only the engineers from Siberia know the inner workings of that steel plant. They alone have the blueprint, they alone have the diagrams, they alone have the knowledge.

The revival of the plant will spark an industrial revolution that will eventually move Nigeria from where it is to where other world powers are currently in...the industrialization of any country is what makes it become a world power. And steel is a major player in this. Observe every country that produces steel, and see where they are. The powers that be don't want that for Nigeria, so it's not going to happen.

China will not work on an equipment they didn't build. They would rather try to reverse engineer the steel plant and rebuild it for you, not to come fix something whose blueprint they don't and will never have access to.

Oh and to add, there are only two of this particular model of steel company equipment in the world, one in Nigeria and the other in Siberia.

Nigerians act smart, but in reality we are very foolish, we nor really get sense like we want the world to believe...smh

If you believe this then you will believe me when I tell you I have a cheap air strip to sell to you.

If you know the challenges and politics behind the working of that steel plant, you will know that it is beyond what any Nigerian president can fix, it's bigger than BAT himself.

These are all lies. Smart guy used the word "may", so that when this talk dies off naturally, he can vindicate himself.

As long as we have the current crop of politicians in power, that steel plant working will never see the light of day. Sorry

They are everywhere, in all government agencies... Different levels of involvement and activities. You can't even get employment in some of them if you don't belong.
Their ogas are probably their patrons so nothing will happen.

If you know the truth about this guy's elimination, you all won't be jubilating. All the same good riddance.

Which part of Ogun State is he talking about?

You see this narrative? This is the justification the North is seeking to sustain the terrorism in their region.

This is because these terrorists serve a purpose, and it's a long term purpose. The Muslim victims are just collateral damage or something like sacrificial lambs for a greater cause. Once in a while, they're offered up for the cause.

Softmirror:
Says one of those who is against the establishment of APC'S livestock ministry which aims at finding lasting solution to this challenges.

Minister of livestock....
You guys are so delusional and you think everyone is stupid too..
What will a ministry of livestock do that the government has not been able to do for decades? Gosh

It's a family issue, remember ffk said they are one.

A lot of Nigerians don't like reading, if when they do, they read to reply not to comprehend. Some just have comprehension issues, they read but they don't understand what they have read. So much for educated people

Ikumapkayi:
I would have said what Elisha told the King's closest servant to happen to you, but I remembered you have a family. You can't wish nothing good for the country and anything good will happen to you. As you have claimed this good news is audio, so will every good thing to happen to the rest of us as the country progresses be audio when he reaches your turn. You go hear am you no go grab am. I did curse you, you use your mouth to say so.

You are propagating falsehood, and you are here talking about wishing good or whatever it is you are talking about.
You bloody liars. It's okay to lie to yourselves, because that what you do, it makes you feel good. But to lie to others, and expect everyone to just join the train of delusional e-bots will not work.
Enjoy the lies, as for me I work with facts. A company said they are looking for brand visibility, you are writing that they are planning to fully make a comeback, something the article clearly stated to be false.
Well a cause less curse flies by like bird.
You are no different from false prophets, all because of 2k.
Talking about news that will never materialize, I insist, show me where Michelin said they are making a full comeback to the country or forever hold your peace... Nonsense liars

Just resign already. You are a failure

Toluwanise247:
Your pain is forever…. Cry more

It's got nothing to do with pain. You are spreading falsehood and misinformation for 2k daily. Are you not ashamed?

Audio Audio...
They are not even planning to return to production, this is deceptive reporting, of course I'm not surprised, e-bots at it again. This is shameful and shameless at the same time. The economy doesn't sustain profitable investments and no foreign company will risk coming to invest in it, fact. Even Dunlop cannot even dream of returning talk less of Michelin.

The article initially said "Though the company has not announced plans to reopen a factory, according to the news report, ‘it wants to rebuild its brand visibility, strengthen local presence, and position Nigeria as a key growth hub in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Then the writer runs to the end of the article and adds "...and confidence already built by the current government’s bold policies of economic reforms, ongoing road construction and infrastructure projects which have created new opportunities in heavy-duty and off-road segments, must have inform the company’s decision to fully return to the country.".

Where did they say they are fully returning to the country? Na wa oh...

The delusions of a failed government knows no bounds, they lie to themselves and Force themselves to believe their lies, but then whatever rocks their boat.

Nigerian politicians are bloody liars. Believe them at your own detriment. Infact one survival strategy is to always believe the opposite of what they tell you.

If the person who hid something from you is also joining you to find it, you will never find it.

Audio Audio..

They use our army camouflage to sew native and agbada....gosh

He has pardoned a Northerner, now a Southerner. We should be expecting some more for Western and Eastern murderers. That way he will be for everybody and at the same time be for nobody... equation balanced...

Subtle bribery in the guise of community service. Well done sir

You don't understand sarcasm abi?
Calm down bros.

And some Christians will fall for this deception. Since when did ST care about the Gospel of Christ and the propagation of the Christian faith. ?... 😂
Anyway, they know that religion is the opium of the people, so why not exploit it. ?

His father used the Muslim -Muslim ticket to confuse the North that are now suffering and regretting so why shouldn't he use the same tactics on the Christians?...smh