Ms Rasool Mehmandoost an Iranian expert in steel development offered suggestions to Nigeria on how best to revive her ailing steel industry.

Ms Mehmandoost advised Nigeria to avoid the pitfall of selling its raw materials. The government and the private sector must collaborate to develop the sector. A delegation of Nigerian journalists on a working visit to the Esfahan Mobarakeh Steel Company that Iran had made a success of its venture into steel production largely due to collaboration.

Ms Mehmandoost, who is the company’s interpreter and Public Relations Officer, also said the place of manpower development could not be over emphasized. He explained that company was built in the early 1980s and was initially sustained through public funding but was later privatized and was now running at a profit.

Although it had some challenges during the 8 year long Iran and Iraq war the company is currently the largest iron industry in the Middle East with an annual production capacity of 5.2 million tonnes of steel.

Ms Mehmandoost said that “I think Nigeria should use her raw materials to her benefit. Instead of selling the materials, she should make them into something with more added values. This facility was first funded using government funds, and then it was sold to indigenous private companies. It is currently 100% Iranian owned company. Of course, there have been attempts to buy the company.”

He said that the management of this company, as it changed over the years, has been careful to study and incorporate various successful management standards used in other countries. Different elements have resulted in the success of this company but the management has taken these into consideration, paying special attention to manpower and how it should be developed. The sacrifices made by employees over the years are central to the success of this company.

The expert observed that international sanctions had not impacted seriously on the expansion and modernization of the facility because 90% of the equipment and machinery used in the plant were produced locally. So, if the sanctions had any effect, it has been very low. We constantly have research projects with the universities in the country so that we can constantly modernize different parts of the plant.

(Sourced from www.punchng.com)