By Isqil Najim
The president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr Ali Rabiu has challenged the stakeholders on the revival of Ajaokuta just as the new National Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Mining, Metallurgical Material Engineers, Engr. Michael Orekyeh unveiled a four-year blueprint anchored on private-sector metallurgy, specialist sector groups, and a commitment lead the long-stalled Ajaokuta steel reactivation.
Delivering his address at the inauguration of Engr. Michael Ifeanyi Orekyeh as the 13th National Chairman of NIMMME, alongside a new executive committee on March 11, 2026, the President, Engr. Ali Rabiu—who was represented by the Deputy President, Engr. Valerie Agberagba—praised the outgoing National Chairman, Professor Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu, for his contributions to the sector’s development.
He described the leadership transition to Engr. Michael Orekyeh as “an important milestone in the continued growth and strategic repositioning of one of the critical technical Divisions within the Nigerian Society of Engineers,” rather than a routine handover. He charged the new administration to lead with purpose, stating that metals, mining, and materials engineering sit at the heart of “industrialization, infrastructure development, technological advancement, and economic diversification.”
The engineering profession, he emphasized, bears direct responsibility for the protection of lives, property, and national resources—and NIMMME must lead from that position of obligation, not merely aspiration.
“The challenges facing our country today demand stronger synergy between engineering professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders,” he said.
Regarding Nigeria’s mineral endowment, Rabiu noted that the country “possesses enormous untapped potential in the metals and solid minerals sector,” but warned that converting that potential into wealth “will require sound engineering expertise, forward-looking policies, and sustained investment in technology and human capacity.”
He commended the choice of the inauguration theme, describing it as timely proof that the Institution understands what is at stake: Nigeria’s long-term economic diversification away from oil runs squarely through its largely dormant minerals and metals processing base.
In his inaugural speech, the new National Chairman, Engr. Michael Orekyeh, unveiled a four-year Strategic Plan developed by a team led by Prof. Toyin Ashiru, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State. He declared that the era of defining Nigerian metallurgy by its state-controlled failures is over.
“Now we want a situation where when you talk about metallurgy, it should be about metalwork, foundry, additive manufacturing—and how it relates to the private sector on a small, medium, and large scale,” he said.
He announced that the institution’s planned Public Webinar Series (PWS) will systematically carry this message to the government, businesses, and the general public, building a new national conversation around what 3Ms (Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials) professionals actually deliver—and what they can deliver at scale if given the enabling environment.
To drive the internal capacity that private-sector ambition demands, Orekyeh announced the creation of Strategic Sector Groups (SSGs)—the centerpiece structural innovation of his tenure. Unlike conventional standing committees, SSGs feature open membership; engineers with a genuine interest in a given area are invited to self-select and work collaboratively with appointed SSG leaders, building deep, peer-validated competence across the institution’s thematic areas. He also declared his commitment to a sustained program of training and industry certifications designed to provide employers and entrepreneurs with a reliable, standardized benchmark when sourcing 3M manpower.
Speaking further, Orekyeh outlined his administration’s plan to ensure NIMMME plays a critical role in the reactivation of Nigeria’s two most symbolically significant industrial assets: Ajaokuta Steel Company and Delta Steel Company. Conceived roughly fifty years ago and never brought to full commercial production, Ajaokuta has become a byword for the gap between Nigeria’s industrial ambitions and its institutional failures.
Orekyeh stated that NIMMME must no longer be a bystander in these conversations. The institution, he noted, holds a ready and often overlooked pool of highly trained engineers—many educated specifically for these plants in the former USSR, Europe, and the United States at Nigeria’s direct expense—who remain available, qualified, and willing to contribute to any serious reactivation effort.
“We believe that with the right models and business planning,” he said, “the plant can be activated using new technological developments like process automation to become a competitive steel-producing industry.” The message to the government was clear: the engineers exist, the expertise exists, and NIMMME expects to be part of the solution.
Beyond steel, Orekyeh pledged to deploy the institution’s registered mining engineers to help unlock Nigeria’s solid mineral wealth for both government and private investors. NIMMME’s technical reach, he said, extends further still—to non-ferrous metals, aluminum, plastics, rubber, wood, and glass; sectors that draw on materials engineering but have historically operated with minimal engagement from the professional engineering community.
He also outlined a plan to encourage and empower members to participate in policy frameworks. The third thread running through Orekyeh’s address—and the one most directly aimed at the institution’s own membership—was a demand for active participation. “The administration under my leadership will seek interactive engagement with its members,” he declared, “to ensure members are not onlookers, but active participants in the activities of 3M—which I keep saying is OUR INSTITUTION.” While many members have already been assigned to committees with defined responsibilities, the message to the rest was equally direct: engage, or be left on the sidelines of an institution that no longer has room for spectators.
The National Chairman paid glowing tribute to His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano, former Governor of Anambra State—whom he described as “a mentor and a man with a big heart”—for opening the doors of governance to so many professionals. Academic mentors from the University of Lagos, including Prof. S.A. Balogun and the late Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, and from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi, were also warmly acknowledged as the foundations of his professional formation.
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