British Steel will increase production after agreeing a £70 m contract for port redevelopments in Nigeria. The agreement with Hitech Construction Africa will see British Steel supply 120kt of steel to help modernise the Tin Can Island and Lagos Apapa port complexes. It is one of the company’s largest orders for billet, so to meet the demand, production will be increased at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site. British Steel CEO Allan Bell said: “This is a record-breaking contract for British Steel and a major boost to our 4,000 employees and many more people in our supply chains. “After government intervention last April, everyone at British Steel has worked hard to stabilise the company. This deal represents us moving from stabilisation to building long-term sustainability for the business. “As one of the largest ever orders for billet in the history of this company, it marks a tremendous vote of confidence in British Steel and UK manufacturing. And as the biggest order we have ever secured with UK Export Finance, it demonstrates how we are working with the UK Government to meet the global demand for our products.” The billets British Steel will supply are of a 140mm rebar type grade with deliveries starting in Spring and continuing over the next three years. Peter Kyle, Business and Trade Secretary, added: “Hot on the heels of our landmark Steel Strategy, this is a major win for British Steel made possible by UK Export Finance, which is testament to the quality of UK-made steel and the booming UK-Nigeria relationship. “Through our new Strategy we’re backing British steelmakers for long-term success at home and abroad, and this contract will reinforce British Steel’s world-class expertise while supporting jobs and growth in Scunthorpe.”