Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has pledged to deepen its partnership with indigenous cable manufacturer, Coleman Technical Industries Limited, beyond 2027 as part of efforts to expand local manufacturing capacity and promote Nigerian businesses in international projects.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Adeleye Falade, made the commitment during a tour of Coleman’s manufacturing facilities in Sagamu and Arepo, Ogun State, where he expressed surprise at the scale of the company’s operations, investment in equipment and machinery, and the capabilities of its workforce.
Falade said the existing relationship between NLNG and Coleman had significant room for expansion, stressing that the company was interested in creating more opportunities for Nigerian manufacturers to participate in projects with global reach.
‘We’re already in partnership. That partnership will only expand. There is scope; there is opportunity,’ he said.
The NLNG chief executive said the company was also exploring ways of connecting Nigerian manufacturers with international projects, including opportunities relating to the construction of vessels for NLNG.
He said Nigerian manufacturers could compete successfully in global markets if they were able to demonstrate quality, reliability and value.
Falade described his experience at Coleman’s facilities as ‘mind-blowing’, saying he had not anticipated the scale of investment and level of operations he encountered during the visit.
‘I’m not sure I was prepared for what I saw. I mean, that’s the honest truth. I’d seen a few of Coleman events, and I knew that something remarkable was going on, but I don’t think any of that prepared me for what I saw,’ he said.
According to him, the facilities demonstrated the capacity of Nigerian businesses to achieve world-class standards through sustained investment, innovation and commitment.
He said NLNG would continue to support initiatives capable of growing Nigerian businesses, creating jobs and deepening local content, adding that the company remained committed to developing indigenous capacity.
Falade described Coleman’s facilities as a source of pride to Nigeria, citing the company’s operational standards, manufacturing capabilities and investment in local production.
He also commended Coleman’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, George Onafowokan, and Executive Director, Michael Onafowokan, for building a business which, he said, exhibited the characteristics of a world-class organisation.
Responding, Onafowokan described the visit as an endorsement of the longstanding relationship between NLNG and Coleman and the gas company’s commitment to local content development.
He said Coleman had benefited from NLNG’s local-content initiatives, including its participation in major projects such as NLNG’s Train 7 development.
Onafowokan said Coleman’s transformation from a family-owned business into a multinational and generational company had been driven by its confidence in Nigerian talent and manufacturing capacity.
According to him, the company’s growth reflected what Nigerian businesses could achieve when local talent, investment and industrial capacity were deliberately developed.
He described Coleman’s journey as ‘the Nigerian story’, one built on the conviction that Nigerians could manufacture world-class products and operate world-class facilities from within the country.
Onafowokan thanked the NLNG chief executive for the visit, saying Falade’s assessment of the company’s operations would encourage Coleman to further invest in its people, facilities and production capacity.
He said the company would continue to position itself to contribute to Nigeria’s industrial development and expand the role of indigenous manufacturers in major projects.
The renewed commitment comes as Nigerian manufacturers increasingly seek stronger links with large domestic project sponsors and international markets to deepen local value addition, reduce dependence on imported industrial products and expand employment opportunities.