Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, and Simbi Wabote, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, were among the well-known figures who pledged support as Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State, opened the West Africa’s first fiber optic factory.
The factory is the fifth of its sort on the African continent and was established by Coleman Technical Industries Limited in partnership with an American company, Fibre Business, EMEA.
George Onafowokan, the Chief Executive Officer of CTIL, said in a speech at the facility’s inauguration on Thursday in Ogun State that the project was in response to the Federal Government’s call for a rapid increase in Nigeria’s digitalization penetration and the push for the creation of local content.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Ogun State government for its assistance in building the facility.
Onafowokan said, “I must admit that it has not been an easy task to maneuver the processes of approval through our board of directors and our financial institutions led by Bank of Industry, which played a major role from conceptualisation of this project to its commissioning being witnessed today.”
On his part, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, hailed the Coleman CEO for the courage to kick-start the project despite the serious challenges being faced by manufacturers at the moment.
Abiodun said, “We are, as a state government, elated to be part of this history. We are the first state to manufacture fibre optic cable in Nigeria. Let me say that what we are witnessing today is another example of numerous developments happening in different parts of our state, and these are no coincidences. They are all results of our deliberate, strategic and methodical approach to governance.
“This is underscored by our vision, which remains to provide an enabling environment for performing private sector partnerships, which we believe is fundamental to the development of this state. In our administration, we have absolute faith in the ability of the private sector to give impetus to the socio-economic development of our state and our country.”
Abiodun went on to say that his administration would keep encouraging and supporting private businesses in their efforts to advance industrialization and give people jobs.
Adebayo, who was represented by the Director of the Ministry’s Industrial Development Department, Mr. Adewale Bakare, said the newly-commissioned facility has finally put the business in a position to meet Nigeria’s need for cables and wire.
He said, “This factory is for the production of signal-transmitting cables for telecommunications for both commercial and industrial uses. This is indeed a commendable achievement for the board, staff and management of Coleman Technical Industries Limited. The company and its products have become a household name in Nigeria. The expansion of your factory, from electrical wires and cables to the production of fibre optic cables is a confirmation of your confidence in the industrialisation drive of the Nigerian Federal Government.”
Abiodun goes on to say In a same line, Coleman’s backward integration approach of using locally sourced resources for production demands was praised by Wabote.
Marybeth Leonard, the US ambassador to Nigeria, Isa Ali Pantami, the managing director of the Bank of Industry, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the former governor of Ogun State, were also special guests at the event. Pantami promised that his administration would continue to support and encourage private businesses in their efforts to advance industrialization and provide jobs for the populace.
Marybeth Leonard, the US ambassador to Nigeria, Isa Ali Pantami, the minister of communications and digital economy, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, the managing director of the Bank of Industry, and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the former governor of Ogun State, were also in attendance as special guests.
