Nigeria’s growing manufacturing capacity received a major boost on Friday as Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment while commissioning Solewant Specialty Protective Coatings and Paints (SSPC) manufacturing plant in Alode, Eleme Local Government Area.
The commissioning of the state-of-the-art facility, which also witnessed the unveiling of 11 advanced coating products under the Solguard and Novaguard brands, was celebrated by government officials and industry stakeholders as compelling evidence that Nigerian companies possess the capacity to compete with the world’s best in manufacturing and industrial technology.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Barr. Sonny Ewule, Governor Fubara said the investment by Solewant Group was a testament to the prevailing peace and investment-friendly atmosphere in Rivers State, assuring investors that his administration would continue to provide the enabling environment required for businesses to thrive.
He noted that the state’s aggressive investment in infrastructure was deliberately designed to attract industries, stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities and accelerate sustainable development.
Describing the facility as a landmark investment, the governor urged both local and foreign investors to emulate Solewant by taking advantage of the peaceful environment in Rivers State to establish industries capable of transforming the state’s economy.
He also pledged the government’s readiness to partner with the company in advancing manufacturing, local content development and industrial expansion.
According to him, such collaboration would deepen business activities, create jobs for young people and broaden the state’s revenue base.
Fubara further disclosed that his administration was working with relevant agencies to improve electricity supply in the state in order to reduce energy costs for industries and enhance productivity.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, described the commissioning as a milestone in Nigeria’s industrialisation drive and a practical demonstration of the remarkable progress indigenous companies have made in the oil and gas sector over the past decade.
He said the facility was not only positioned to meet Nigeria’s industrial needs but also to serve markets across Africa, stressing that it confirmed the emergence of Nigerian firms as globally competitive manufacturers.
“This is clear evidence of the growth that local service providers in Nigeria have developed over the past 15 years,” the minister said.
“I am very happy today that I have the privilege to witness this plant that will not just serve Nigeria but the entire African continent.”
Lokpobiri reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting indigenous companies, noting that policies were already in place to ensure that critical oil and gas services such as pipe coating are executed within Nigeria.
He maintained that the country’s energy challenges would be solved through local expertise and innovation rather than dependence on foreign solutions.
“Our pipes are completely corroded, and we need solutions like Solewant is providing to address that problem. What you have done here is a Nigerian solution to the Nigerian problem,” he added.
Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Solewant Group, Engr. Solomon Ewanehi, said the project represented the fulfilment of a vision conceived 16 years ago to eliminate Nigeria’s dependence on imported industrial coatings while building a globally competitive manufacturing enterprise.
According to him, the commissioning of the plant was more than the opening of a factory.
“We are launching confidence; confidence that Nigeria has the competence, the capacity and the courage to manufacture not just what we consume but also what we can export to compete with international standards,” he said.
Ewanehi explained that the company unveiled 11 enhanced products developed and manufactured in Nigeria for the oil and gas, marine, infrastructure and industrial sectors.
He noted that the products, marketed under the Solguard and Novaguard brands, were designed to meet global standards while providing durable protection for critical national infrastructure.
Namibia’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, H.E. Walde Natangwe Ndavishiya, described Solewant’s investment as timely, particularly with the company’s expansion into Namibia, saying it positioned the firm to support the country’s emerging oil and gas industry.
Former Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Mr. Emeka Ene, said the project had once again demonstrated that Nigerian entrepreneurs, engineers and technicians possess the expertise to compete favourably on the global stage.
Also speaking, Professor Olugbenga Falode of the Centre for Petroleum Energy Economics and Law, University of Ibadan, unveiled the Solguard and Novaguard product portfolio, describing the innovations as evidence that world-class coating technologies could be researched, developed and manufactured in Nigeria.
The products include architectural paints, industrial protective coatings, heavy-duty protective systems and premium specialty coatings designed for homes, factories, pipelines, bridges, offshore platforms and other critical infrastructure.
Falode said the products were developed through extensive research and collaboration, proving that Nigeria has the technological capability to produce advanced industrial solutions for both domestic consumption and international export.
For industry stakeholders, the commissioning of the Solewant plant is more than another factory opening. It is a bold statement that Nigerian companies are increasingly shifting from import dependence to innovation-driven manufacturing, reinforcing confidence that indigenous enterprises can compete successfully in global industrial markets while driving Africa’s industrial transformation.
