Coleman Technical Industries Limited has received praise from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria for implementing a successful backward integration strategy.
In a statement, MAN Director-General Segun Ajayi-Kadir praised the company on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by a MAN delegation to its Sagamu factory in Ogun State, highlighting that the initiative reinforces industrial value chains throughout Africa.
Ajayi-Kadir said Africa must close its industrial capacity gap by focusing on processing and adding value to its natural resources rather than exporting them in raw form.
“Africa must bridge the gap in industrial capacity. Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo have abundant resources but lack the capacity to maximise their value. What we have seen here, especially the backward integration efforts, fits perfectly into the narrative of building stronger African value chains,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
He described Coleman as a leader in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and a “champion” the association is willing to partner with in driving industrial development.
The MAN Director-General also conveyed apologies on behalf of the President of the association, Francis Meshioye, who was absent due to other engagements.
He noted that Ogun State remains a major manufacturing hub in Nigeria, competing strongly with other industrial centres across Africa based on the growing number of manufacturers operating in the state, adding that the factory tour gave the delegation deeper insight into Coleman’s expansion and investments in telecommunications and power infrastructure, particularly through the production of wires and cables.
“Nobody imagined that tele-density would grow this fast and that the government would be working towards expanding communication access across the country. At the heart of that development is connectivity, and we are happy that Coleman is right at the centre of it,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
He added that the company’s expansion plans beyond Nigeria into West Africa and other parts of the continent align with regional integration goals and efforts to boost intra-African industrial collaboration.
Ajayi-Kadir further stated that MAN would continue to advocate policies that prioritise local manufacturing and encourage patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods.
“One of the things we intend to do this year is to showcase our champions in manufacturing, and Coleman is certainly one of those champions we are proud to work with,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
In his response, the Chairman of Coleman Technical Industries Limited, Solomon Onafowokan, appreciated the association for the visit and for inspecting the company’s facilities.
Onafowokan said the visit enabled the delegation to better understand the scale of operations at the Sagamu plant and the company’s contributions to Nigeria’s industrial growth.
“We are very delighted to receive you and grateful that you took the time to go round the factory. When people see what we are doing physically, they understand our work better and the scale of what we are building,” Onafowokan said.
He added that the company values its long-standing relationship with MAN and seeks deeper collaboration to strengthen Nigeria’s manufacturing sector: “We appreciate your visit and the opportunity to hear your observations. Sometimes you cannot see yourself clearly, so partners like MAN need to share what they believe about the work we are doing.”
