As Solewant Group Sets Record on Nigerian Content Devt with SSPC, Paints Manufacturing Plant

Suleiman Adeola Barely 12 months after Solewant Group inaugurated an ultra-modern Pipe Bend Multi-Layer Pipe Coating Plant, in its state-of-the-art industrial park and Africa’s largest-pipe coating facility in Alode, Eleme Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, the company has completed its SSPC & Paints Manufacturing Plant and is set to unveil a series of coating solutions and paints. The completion of this facility by Solewant Group has set a new record on Nigerian Content Development in the oil and gas as well as maritime sectors, which strengthen the position of its state-of-the-art industrial park as part of efforts to support the federal government’s move to make Nigeria the hub of steel pipe manufacturing in Africa. Solewant Group had in July 2025 commissioned a modern pipe bend coating plant, which provides reliable multi-layer coating protection on non-linear steel pipe structures. These non-linear steel pipe structures include but are not limited to, Buckle arrestors, Pipe bends, Pipeline field joints, Short run pipeline, Pipeline spools, Pipeline risers, Pipeline tie ins, Tie backs, among others, in accordance with the current ISO Standards. The company, which has been innovating and impacting industries for 26 years, had several years ago, identified a critical challenge – that irregular shaped pipeline fittings often suffer from inadequate coating protection, leading to coating failures, corrosion of pipelines, pipeline Leaks, revenue loss and environmental damage. To address these concerns, the company’s team of innovators and engineers, in partnership with Euro-American OEMs, developed and built the state-of-the-art Pipe Bend Coating Plant at the company’s Industrial Park in Eleme. According to the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Solewant Group, Mr. Solomon Ewanehi, “the facility enables us to apply multi-layer coating systems with precision and accuracy, ensuring enhanced protection, Reduced maintenance, Increased pipeline integrity.” Barely 12 months later, the company has completed its Solewant Specialty Protective Coatings and Paints Limited (SSPC) & Paints Manufacturing Plant and is set to unveil series of coating solutions and paints on Friday, July 31, 2026, in its industrial park, strengthening its leadership position in pipe coating, protective coatings and paints, steel pipe manufacturing, industrial fabrication, engineering services, and technical manpower development. The completion of this facility, which marks a significant step in the company’s continued investment in indigenous manufacturing and Nigeria’s industrial growth, is expected to strengthen local production of decorative and protective coating solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, marine, and offshore infrastructure, while supporting ongoing efforts to deepen local content participation across key sectors of the oil and gas economy. The commissioning ceremony is expected to attract government officials, captains of industry, oil and gas executives, business leaders, development partners, members of the diplomatic community, and representatives of the media from across Nigeria. The new manufacturing facility his one of the flagship projects under Solewant Group’s Roadmap Plus strategy and reflects the company’s long-term commitment to building industrial capacity in Nigeria. Designed to produce decorative, industrial, marine, and offshore protective coatings and paints that meet international performance standards, the plant is positioned to serve growing demand across multiple sectors while contributing to the expansion of local manufacturing capabilities in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call for increase in local manufacturing. Commenting on the significance of the upcoming commissioning, Group Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of Solewant Group, Mr Ewanehi, said the project reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to building sustainable industrial capacity and creating solutions that address the evolving needs of the industry “The commissioning of SSPC & Paints is another important milestone in our journey to become Africa’s leading indigenous industrial solutions provider. It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to investing in technology, developing local capacity, and creating solutions that support Nigeria’s industrial growth and global competitiveness,” Ewanehi added. Also speaking ahead of the commissioning, the Group Executive Director and Managing Director, SSPC & Paints Ltd, Mr. Matthew Aganren, described the project as a defining moment for the company and for Nigeria’s industrial manufacturing sector. “The commissioning of SSPC & Paints is more than the opening of a new manufacturing plant; it is the unveiling of a bold vision for the future of Nigerian manufacturing. It reflects our commitment to innovation, quality, and the belief that products proudly made in Nigeria can compete with the very best anywhere in the world.” Aganren noted that the facility will manufacture a broad portfolio of decorative and protective coating solutions developed specifically for residential buildings, commercial infrastructure, oil and gas installations, marine assets, and heavy industrial applications. “For over two decades, Solewant Group has earned the confidence of leading energy companies through technical excellence and quality delivery. SSPC & Paints extends that legacy by bringing globally benchmarked coating technology into a modern manufacturing facility that will serve not only Nigeria but the wider African market.” The facility forms part of Solewant Group’s broader efforts to strengthen domestic industrial capabilities by supporting local production, fostering skills development, encouraging technology transfer, and contributing to the growth of Nigeria’s manufacturing value chain. “Every litre of paint and every protective coating produced at this facility represents an investment in Nigerian expertise, Nigerian innovation, and Nigeria’s economic future. We are building a brand that will become synonymous with quality, durability, and industrial excellence.” The SSPC & Paints manufacturing plant will produce an extensive range of coating solutions under the Solguard and Novaguard brands series, including decorative paints, epoxy solutions, polyurethane coatings, zinc-rich primers, and high-performance protective coatings for residential, industrial, marine, and offshore applications Guests attending the commissioning ceremony will have the opportunity to experience the facility firsthand, including its manufacturing operations, research and quality assurance laboratories, and product development capabilities. The event will also highlight Solewant Group’s contributions to indigenous industrial development and its vision for expanding Nigeria’s manufacturing footprint through locally produced solutions that meet international standards. Founded in 2000, Solewant Group is a leading indigenous Nigerian industrial conglomerate with interests in pipe coating, protective coatings and paints, steel pipe manufacturing, industrial fabrication, engineering services, and technical manpower development. Through continuous investment in technology, innovation, and local capacity development, the Group remains at the forefront of Nigeria’s industrial transformation. Solewant Group today now operates diversified portfolios, namely – Solewant Nigeria Limited (SNL) – Africa’s largest multi-layer pipe coating facility, delivering advanced coating systems including 3LPE, 3LPP, FBE, and CWC; Field Joint Coatings Limited (FJCL) – specialised solutions for onshore and offshore pipeline joint protection; Solewant Specialty Protective Coatings & Paints Limited (SSPC) – high-performance industrial coating applications and protective systems; Pipes and Metals Industries Limited (PMI) – Steel pipe manufacturing and precision metal fabrication; Ukemezi Africa Oil and Gas Limited, which operates in the midstream and upstream sectors of Namibia’s oil and gas industry, and Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI) –industry-focused training and certification for Africa’s energy workforce. The state-of-the-art industrial park was designed to handle high-volume manufacturing, fabrication and coating operations—from fusion bonded epoxy (FBE), three-layer polyethylene (3LPE), and 3-to-5-layer polypropylene (3LPP) to concrete weight coating systems, field joint systems, insulation, Catholic protection systems and industrial training solutions. The company had showcased its growing portfolio of indigenous industrial capabilities and technology-driven solutions at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference (NGC) 2026 held earlier this month at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja. The Group was represented by the Group Executive Director and Managing Director of SSPC & Paints Limited, Mr. Matthew Aganren; the Group Executive Director and Managing Director of Pipes and Metals Industries Limited, Engr. Segun Edun; the Executive Secretary of the Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI), Dr. Ben Ubleble; and the General Manager, Business Development and Strategy, Dr. Felix Onyela. Speaking with journalists during the conference, Ubleble stated that Solewant Group’s participation at NGC 2026 was a demonstration of the company’s commitment to showcasing the breakthrough technologies, technical expertise and industrial capabilities it has developed in the past 26 years in the oil, gas and energy sector. He noted that the Group now offers an integrated industrial ecosystem spanning advanced asset protection technologies, steel pipe manufacturing, field joint coating services, industrial protective coatings and paints, fabrication services, engineering solutions, pipeline maintenance technologies, and internationally aligned technical training and professional certification programmes through the Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI). According to him, the Group’s recent investments—including the group’s recently launched Ukemezi Africa Energy Limited in Namibia with specialty in midstream and upstream operations, establishing Africa’s automated bend coating plant, the continued expansion of Solewant Specialty Protective Coatings & Paints Limited with its plant set for launching on Friday, July 31, 2026; the Solewant Group Africa Energy Summit, an annual event scheduled to hold from November 26-28th in Port Harcourt and the implementation of the Solewant Group Roadmap Plus—demonstrated the company’s determination to strengthen local content, deepen indigenous manufacturing capability and position Africa as a global centre of industrial excellence. Ubleble further highlighted the company’s expanding continental footprint through its growing operations in Namibia, describing the move as a strategic platform for regional partnerships, technology transfer, skills development and sustainable investment across Africa’s energy landscape. Earlier this year, Nigeria’s oil and gas industry attracted global attention at the 2026 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held from May 4-7, as the company showed the latest industry technology to energy professionals, government officials, and researchers from more than 100 countries, with over 25,000 people in attendance, 18 keynote addresses delivered and 48 technical sessions held, in four days of technical exchange, executive dialogues, and dealmaking. The exhibition floor hosted nearly 1,000 companies, from major operators and service companies to a growing roster of digital, robotics, and energy-transition technology providers, including Solewant Group, which maintained one of the largest private exhibition booths in Nigeria Pavilion at the event. .Adeola, an oil and gas analyst, writes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.