Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel

  • True, Kaduna iron ore mining company is recruiting

    Claim: A viral message circulating on  WhatsApp claims that a multi-billion Naira Iron ore mining company located in Gujeni, Kaduna State is recruiting a massive national workforce to resume operation by January 2022.

    The claim that a multi-billion Naira Iron ore mining company located in Gujeni, Kaduna State is recruiting a massive national workforce to resume operation by January 2022 is true. Findings reveal the recruitment is already taking place. 

    Full Text

    A viral message circulating on WhatsApp claims that a multi billion naira Iron ore mining company located in Gujeni, Kaduna State is recruiting a massive national workforce to resume operation by January 2022.

    The forward-as-received message states that applications are expected from all parts of Nigeria to fill vacant positions, urging interested persons to forward their applications and CVs via : recruitment.gujeni@anrml.com

    The post reads:

    “KADUNA UPDATE: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES  

    Nigeria’s first steel manufacturing plant comes on-stream in Kagarko Local Government, Kaduna State after more than 50 years of failed efforts in Ajaokuta. 

    There is a multi billion naira Iron ore mining company located in Gujeni, Kaduna State, 19 km from Abuja. The mining plant is situated on over 500 hectares of land with an expected workforce of 2,000 workers made up of Nigerians and 300 expatriates. The plant is under construction and the first phase is about to be completed and will resume operations by January 2022.

    A massive national workforce is required and experienced hands are also required to support the Iron Ore Processing Project to run effectively. The iron will then be further processed into steel in Nigeria. Be part of this historic feat by applying!

    Urgent Positions required are:

    1. Field Engineer

    2. Mechanical & Electrical University Graduates 

    3. Shift Foreman

    4. Boiler Field Operator

    5. Turbine Field Operator

    6. Shift Engineers

    7. Fitter Mechanic

    8. Electrical Shift Engineer

    9. Electrician

    10. Instrumentation Technicians

    11. Chemist

    12. Planning Engineer

    Applications are expected from all parts of Nigeria.

    All applications/CVs should be sent to : recruitment.gujeni@anrml.com

    Screenshot of forward as received message

    The same claim has also been making the rounds on Facebook. The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has also shared the same claim on his verified Facebook timeline which attracted massive traction from users. It garnered close to 3,000, over 450 comments and around 1,000 shares.

    The claim as it appeared on Governor El-Rufai’s Facebook Timeline

    A user,  Abdulrahman Abubakar,  who reacted to the post on the Governor’s timeline inquired thus, “The email address given is not working, Sir, are there any alternative methods for sending the CV to the company?”  Another user, on WhatsApp, discredited the job offer “this is fake, you should be careful where and to whom you share your CVs.” 

    Regardless of the diverse opinions, similar Job offers have been used by charlatans to collect the personal information of unsuspecting members of the society for fraudulent and malicious purposes.  As such, DUBAWA opts to verify the veracity of the information. 

    Verification

    DUBWA first surveyed websites of both the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel and the Kaduna State Government to find out  if there is any information regarding the recruitment. But no such information emerged. 

    Further query on the identity and activities of the  company  showed that the  mining company is registered with the  Corporate Affairs Commission  with the name “African Natural Resources and Mines” (ANRML), in 2012.  However, the registration status reads “inactive” which means the company has not filed its annual returns up to date.

    Dubawa contacted the special adviser on media and communications to the governor of Kaduna state, Muyiwa Adekeye, via text message, and he confirmed the company is accepting applications as published  the Governor’s page. 

    He clarified that, “The message is authentic, the company is currently recruiting to start operation by January 2022.” 

    Other facts gathered  from the response also revealed the recruitment is in bid to achieve a novel feat by the mining company.  In fact, the company has been working on the initiative for over 9 years now. 

    What you need to know about the first steel manufacturing plant.

    African Natural Resources and Mines (ANRML)  is an African Industry Groups Company, and it started setting up an Integrated Iron Ore Mining and Processing Plants Project, first of its kind in Nigeria.

    The Project will mine over 4.704 Million tonnes of Iron ore per annum to scale up to 5.88 million tonnes per annum. The Iron ore resource is certified as per NI 43 101 international standards by a reputed international agency and has completed the Techno Commercial Viability (TCV). ANRML has conducted Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) as per IFC performance standards.

    The steel plant will generate 36 megawatts of electricity to the national grid and would boost the already generated megawatts of power for other economic activities and increase power supply to Kagarko Local Government to help develop other industries and urbanize the local area.

    The company’s steel will also carry out beneficiation, pelletizing and converting of iron into direct used iron for steel manufacturing and that it will galvanise the industrial space into a hub of production of finished goods for local consumption and export.

    Is African natural resources and mines company the first steel manufacturing plant in Nigeria?

    No, the history of Nigeria’s attempt to develop the steel industry in Nigeria dates back to the establishment of the Ajaokuta Steel Project in September 1979.

    Designed as an integrated iron and steel complex, the first phase was designed to produce 1.3million tonnes (MT) of liquid steel per annum with capacity to expand to 2.6 MT and 5.2MT in three phases. The Federal Government also established the Delta Steel Company in Aladja which was commissioned in 1982, (now privately owned) with a capacity of 1.0MT per annum. 

    Agbaja Iron Ore Project, in Kogi state was completed in January 2014, and the production of iron ore concentrate was anticipated to start by the end of 2016 or early 2017.

    These companies have, however, not been fully functional owing to a myriad of factors including poor corporate governance.

    No doubt the African natural resources and mines company is the first major investment in the mining sector in more than two decades, but not the first mining company in Nigeria. The project will have a capacity of 5.4 metric tonnes per annum and will create 3,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs if it actively starts to operate in 2022.

    Conclusion

    Findings have revealed the claim circulating on  WhatsApp asking Nigerians to apply for the vacancies in the multi-billion naira Iron ore mining company,  located in Gujeni, Kaduna State is true. The initiative is  intended to boost the  massive national workforce that is hoped to  resume operation by January 2022. Hence the claim is true. 

    The researcher produced this fact-check per the 2021 Kwame Karikari Fact-checking Fellowship partnership with JAY 101.9 FM Jos to facilitate the ethos of truth in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

Back to top button