THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA (FGN) began to show interest in the establishment of an Iron and Steel Industry in the country as far back as 1958 – well before the advent of the oil boom period. Thus, having realized and accepted the importance of steel in the Technological Advancement of the Nation, the FGN by Decree No. 19 of April 1971, established the Nigeria Steel Development Authority (NSDA) to plan, operate and maintain Iron Ore Steel plants in the country as well as to carry out steel raw material surveys, suitability tests and mining operations. In conjunction with Techno-Export (TPE) of USSR, the NSDA carried out geophysical and geological investigations on different Ore Sites. The most promising deposit was located at Itakpe Hill close to Okene in Kogi State. Detailed investigation established the reserves to be about 200 million tonnes with an approximate iron (Fe) grade of 36%. Decree No. 60 of 19th September, 1979 dissolved the NSDA and established six companies, one of which was Associated Ores Mining Company (AOMC). AOMC was later renamed National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in February 1987.