The Ajaokuta integrated steel complex was conceived and steadily developed with the vision of erecting a Metallurgical Process Plant cum Engineering Complex with other auxiliaries and facilities. The complex is meant to be used to generate important upstream and downstream industrial and economic activities that are critical to the diversification of our economy into an industrial one. Ajaokuta Steel Plant is therefore aptly tagged as the Bedrock of Nigeria's industrialization.  The project was embarked upon as a strategic industry, a job creator and a foreign exchange saver and earner. It was envisaged that the project would generate a myriad of socio-economic benefits and increase the productive capacity of the nation through its linkages to other industrial sectors. It would provide materials for infrastructural development, technology acquisition, human capacity building, income distribution, regional development and employment generation. While the project would directly employ about 10,000 staff at the first phase of commissioning, the upstream and downstream industries that will evolve all over the nation will engage not less than 500,000 employees. The plant by 1994 was reckoned to be at 98% completion in terms of equipment erected. Some completed units of the Plant operated at different times but had to shut down due to non-availability of fund.

Ajaokuta Steel Plant is located in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, about 38Km away from Lokoja, the State Capital. The Plant is meant to generate important upstream and downstream industrial and economic activities that are critical to the diversification of the Nigerian economy into an industrial one. It was designed to produce Iron and Liquid steel from (locally occurring raw materials strewn around Nigeria), the Iron Ore Mines at Itakpe, Kogi State being the most spectacular.

ASCL is not just a Rolling Mill, but an Integrated Iron and Steel Plant. Ajaokuta Steel Plant has indeed four (4) rolling mills namely; The Billet Mill, the Light Section Mill, the Wire Rod Mill and the Medium Section and Structural Mill. The blast furnace technology on which Ajaokuta Steel Plant is based is the most popular technology for steel production accounting for about 70% of liquid steel production worldwide.