The National Metallurgical Development Center (NMDC), Jos has concluded plans to revolutionize Nigeria’s economy through manpower development, the Director-General, Professor Linus Asuquo has said.
Manpower development has been regarded as a major catalyst for economic emancipation globally.
Professor Asuquo said this when a team from National Space Research and Development Agency (NSRDA), Abuja paid a visit to the center.
Head (Press and Public Relations of the centre, Eweama Sunny, in a statement quote the DG as saying that the center established in 1973 was upgraded by Act No 50 of 1992 to a fully fledged training institute.
According to him, the main purpose of the center is to upgrade Nigeria’s low- grade ores and minerals through beneficiation technique thereby extracting the mineral content for economic sufficiency and reduction of importation of metals and minerals available in Nigeria.
He said that center has the potential to train Nigerians in all aspects of metallurgical and allied industries which will empower them to add value to the mineral and metal sector.
The DG said the center is open to collaborations from institutions of learning and corporate organisations interested in building manpower and technical know-how in mineral and metallurgical sector.
He reiterated that the metallurgical laboratories, plants and expert engineers in the center are better than the ones outside the shores of Nigeria.
He urged the federal government to pay more attention to the centre to achieve its economic diversification agenda.
In his remark, the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency, Abuja, Professor Spencer Onuh extolled Prof. Asuquo for his effort in making the centre the hub of Industrialization not only for Nigeria but Africa. He said the visit availed him the opportunity to see things for himself and collaborate with the centre in the area of material characterization which according to him is the best in Africa.
He noted that most of the research and laboratory equipments he saw during the facility tour of the centre are capable of repositioning Nigeria in the global map of mineral and metallurgical recognition.
