A delegation from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday visited MT Valves West Africa Free Zone at Lekki Free Zone, Lagos, to assess the firm’s operations and plans to invest in 15,000 tons per year valves manufacturing facility.

The company is a subsidiary of MT Group, a global manufacturer of industrial valves, with presence across Africa, Middle East and Asia, manufacturing 60,000 tons of valves per year from its plant at Abu Dhabi, United Emirates and cutting-edge research and development center and manufacturing base at Shanghai, China, the global headquarters.

The Board’s delegation was led the Special Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Harmony Kunu, Manager Media and Publicity, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi and Manager Commercial Ventures, Ms. Chika Enwerem.

MT Valves West Africa was represented by the Managing Director, Mr. Thomas Zhang and Sales Director, Mr. Elliot Aigbokhade and they hinted that their company specializes in the design and supply of various kinds of industrial valves to the oil and gas industry, petrochemical and allied sectors and is currently a vendor to Shell in Nigeria, despite just setting up in a Nigeria a few years ago.

Taking the Board’s officials through company’s plans and shop floor, the representatives said their operations in Nigeria are in adherence to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. The firm has started the processes of establishing an advanced manufacturing workshop at Lekki Free Zone, which would serve as a hub for value addition locally, capacity building and compliance with national development objectives, they said.  

They asserted that no company was manufacturing industrial valves in Nigeria yet, adding that their firm aimed to close this critical gap by developing a facility similar to their factory at Abu Dhabi, United Arab, which supplies to several countries across the world.

The Lekki facility is projected to start with an initial production capacity of 15,000 valves per year, with a strategic focus that includes phased growth, local value addition, and development of a resilient supply chain. The investment plan targets the Nigerian market, taking into cognizance the projects in the funnel, with potential to supply to the regional market, the officials indicated.

The facility will also carry out maintenance and repair services, as well as assembly and manufacturing operations. The officials outlined plans to secure necessary certifications from the NCDMB and other relevant agencies and demonstrate return on investment potential.

The investment plans include sourcing some raw materials from the local supply chain, creation of employment opportunities, actively engaging Nigerian partners and training Nigerians overseas and locally to work in the facility. The company wants NCDMB to be an integral part of its investment journey, noting that some equipment had been installed in their facility, while other critical equipment was currently sailing to Nigeria. The officials sought the Board’s support and regulatory backing for their investment as well as introduction to players in the industry, to facilitate patronage.

Responding, NCDMB officials conveyed the agency’s backing for credible investments in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, capacity building and gap closures, in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. They emphasized that the mantra of the Nigerian Content Act is domiciliation and domestication of critical industry capacities, to create job opportunities for Nigerians, in line with the mandate of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and industrialize the nation’s economy. 

They challenged MT Valves West Africa Free Zone to develop a robust investment plan, specifying milestones and targets and projected Nigerian content values, planned sources of raw materials and projected contributions to the economy. The Board’s officials also invited the company to participate at the forthcoming Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) planned for May 20-22, 2025, where they would get updated on new projects and opportunities planned by industry players and market potentials for their investment.

As part of the next steps, MT Valves invited officials of government and other key agencies like Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to visit the firm’s facilities at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and global headquarters at Shanghai, China, to appreciate their company’s capacities and the scale of investment they plan to make in Nigeria.