The Board Chairman of the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC), Farouk Aliu Mahama, says his outfit is poised to provide strategic direction and needed dedication to develop a vibrant Integrated Iron and steel industry.

According to Mr Mahama, the dream for real industrialisation to build an integrated Iron and Steel industry has been on the horizon for far too long and lessons learnt from the past have informed his outfit to do things differently to make the dream a reality. 

"We are poised to define our focus and chart a roadmap to achieving the President’s vision of an Integrated Iron and Steel Industry.”

He was speaking at the opening of a two-day stakeholders’ workshop held in Accra to develop a master plan for Ghana's iron and steel industry.

The master plan has four major areas to deal with including mining, refinery, smelting and the downstream which are critical to the achievement of a vibrant industry.

"This master plan will enhance and enrich our collaboration with our stakeholders to develop critical infrastructures like Port and Railway Infrastructure, to enable transportation of Iron, Steel and other bulk materials, adequate Power, and best environmental practices. 

He said the Board and Management of GIISDEC were spearheading the stakeholders’ consultation workshops to build a master plan that would be acceptable to all stakeholders for the operationalisation of the Corporation.

Mr Mahama added that the final plan would be unveiled to Ghanaians by President Akufo-Addo and the Minster for Lands and Natural Resources when completed.

The Yendi MP noted that there was a need for the new GIISDEC Board to build on the foundation and positive gains of his predecessors to achieve their targeted goals. 

He said the dream of GIISDEC to build an integrated Iron and Steel industry was a national agenda and an investment for our collective future that requires the input and collaboration from all to make history.

The GIISDEC Chairman announced that his team was five months ahead of the timelines set out for the development of the master plan.

Mr Mahama explained that this was a result of his determination to work together with his Board members, management, staff and stakeholders to get the plan for the sector before the end of 2022.

He said the master plan was necessary for the industry in order to provide technical guidance and practical direction at every step of the way to develop the entire value chain to boost the Ghanaian economy. 

“If anyone ever doubted the realisation of the vision of the President to build a thriving integrated iron and steel industry, let him look no further than this key project and others GIISDEC is undertaking”.

He said the master plan would define the full scope of Ghana’s Integrated Iron and Steel Industry and also ensure the full utilization of the iron reserves the country was endowed with.

The Yendi MP observed that GIISDEC had become a key component of government’s industrialisation and transformation agenda and as a result, GIISDEC is building partnerships with the private sector to attract significant investment into the industry to enhance the economy. 

He indicated that the global trends indicate a growing demand for iron and its related artefacts and that enforces their resolve to make Ghana the iron and steel hub in Africa.

Mr Mahama, however, disclosed that some of the major challenges ahead of them were environmental concerns, transportation bottlenecks, high-energy intensive process of steel production and the need to develop clean alternatives in terms of energy solutions.

“We shall work together to address these challenges as prescribed by the Masterplan”.