Vice President Kashim Shettima has renewed the determination of the Tinubu administration to revive the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), particularly by engaging with key stakeholders in the industry.
He spoke on Thursday at a meeting with the management of Russian Aluminium Company – UC RUSAL and other stakeholders in the project on the sideline of the ongoing Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Speaking after a presentation by the UC RUSAL management, the VP said the enormous benefits for the economy in many aspects such as in the area of energy transition, job creation both directly and indirectly, and its impact on the development of small businesses was also huge.
The Vice President, in a statement by Olusola Abiola Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, urged all the stakeholders to expedite work on the plan of action to restart production at the company.
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Earlier, Vice President Shettima joined other African leaders at the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum declared open by Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
President Putin noted in his opening remarks that the potential for trade and economic cooperation between Russia and African countries was much higher than the trade turnover of USD 18 billion seen in 2022.
He restated his country’s commitment to food security in Africa and beyond, stressing that “Russia will continue to work towards shaping a more equitable global food distribution system.”