ACTIVITIES OF THE PARASTATALS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE (MI&RMD) DEPARTMENT

The three major Parastatals/Agencies are:

•  National Metallurgical Development Centre, (NMDC), Jos;
•  National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe;
•  National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), Kaduna.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF NMDC, JOS

The National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), Jos was established in 1973 as the testing laboratory of the defunct Nigeria Steel Development Authority (NSDA) to specifically handle the analysis of raw materials for the proposed steel plants. It later metamorphosed into Metallurgical Research and Tests Division of National steel council, after the abrogation of the Decree establishing the NSDA with a broader scope to carry out Research and Development activities in Metallurgical processes.

The name NMDC was adopted in 1987 and the Centre was given backing by decree No 50 of 1992.

ACTIVITIES

The major activities of the Centre includes:-

•  Upgrading the quality of Nigeria mineral ores for steel production, particularly through mineral beneficiation of local iron ores and other solid minerals.

•  Refractories development from local raw materials

•  Coal/coke studies and research on coal blends.

•  Metallographic analysis and metal testing.

•  Heat treatment studies.

•  Extractive metallurgy particularly as regards iron and steel making process.

•  Foundry technology, especially on raw material research.

•  Corrosion and surface protection development

•  Chemical analysis

•  Environmental pollution control studies

•  Feasibility studies.

MAJOR ACTIVITES OF NIOMCO, ITAKPE

The National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe is the agency charged with responsibility of exploring, exploiting and processing of Itapke iron ore deposit, the basic raw material for the Nigeria Iron and Steel industry. The industrial processing plant was designed to supply the required finished products to be used at Ajaokuta steel company Limited and Delta steel company, the two integrated steel plants in the country.

ACTIVITIES

•  Exploit Iron Ore for Steel Plant,

•  Process Iron Ore to Iron ore concentrate and super concentrates,

•  Supply Iron Ore concentrates to metallurgical/steel plants and allied industries e g .ASCL, DSC, etc.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF NSRMEA, KADUNA

The NSRMEA, Kaduna was set up by the federal Government through Decree No19 of 1971 and Decree No 49 and 79 of 1992.

It is responsible for sourcing iron and steel raw materials locally for the iron and steel industry Actives is at page 7.

ACTIVITIES

i) Determine the reserves of raw materials

(ii) Geological work

(iii) Drilling of boreholes

(iv) Explore mineral resources

(v) Map out strategic area of exploration.

(vi) Testing of raw materials

THE ON -GOING PROJECTS

(i) Physical structure: Exploration House project at NSRMEA, Kaduna is almost completed. The outstanding works are ancillary in nature and will be completed in due course

(ii) The Centre has acquired a 500kg electric furnace which will enable it carry out research and development on beneficiation of Tin Slag and Lean Tantalum-Niobium ores to Tantalum-Niobium concentrates and has entered into a contractual agreement with Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to this effect.

iii) Regulatory Metallurgical Manual (RMM);_

The regulatory metallurgical manual in which the products, standard/Codes, raw materials has been draft to guide the Metallurgical Inspectorate arm of (MI & RMD) department.