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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara have inaugurated a state-of-the-art Specialty Protective Coatings and Paints Manufacturing Plant built by indigenous firm Solewant Group in Alode, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. The facility is expected to produce industrial protective coatings for Nigeria and other African markets, boosting local manufacturing and supporting the country’s oil and gas sector.
Speaking at the inauguration, Lokpobiri described the project as a major milestone for Nigeria’s industrialisation and local content agenda. He said the plant would help address the problem of ageing and corroded oil pipelines by providing locally manufactured protective coating solutions, while also positioning Nigerian companies to compete across Africa. Governor Fubara, represented by his Chief of Staff, Sunny Ewuhle, praised Solewant for choosing Rivers as its manufacturing base and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment that attracts investment and generates jobs.
Solewant Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Ewanehi, said the investment was driven by a vision to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported industrial coatings and build globally competitive manufacturing capacity. He noted that the new facility would strengthen local expertise, create employment opportunities and support the growth of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector while expanding the company’s footprint across the African energy industry.
