By Peace Udugba
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has commended Brentex Petroleum Services Limited for the progress recorded on its $50 million Steel Pipe Induction Bending and Coating Facility at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), Onne Port, Rivers State, pledging to encourage operators in the oil and gas industry to patronise the facility when completed.
The Board described the project as a landmark industrial investment that demonstrates Nigeria’s growing capacity in oil and gas logistics, engineering and manufacturing services.
Speaking during an inspection of the facility on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, congratulated Brentex Petroleum Services Limited on the project and reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to promoting in-country capacity, industrialisation and Nigerian Content development in the oil and gas sector.
Ogbe, who was represented by the Director of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (MED), Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq., said the project represents a practical response to Nigeria’s quest for local capacity in specialised pipeline engineering services.
He noted that the facility would contribute to job creation, value retention and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading energy services hub in Africa.
“We’ve been on this journey with Brentex for over a decade. Today, we’ve seen what you are doing on the ground, and that’s actually the whole idea behind the equipment component manufacturing initiative of the NCDMB—in-country value addition. You have remained steadfast,” he said.
The Executive Secretary urged the company to sustain the project’s momentum while maintaining high standards of quality, safety and operational excellence.
“I’d like to express the Board’s deep appreciation for your investment in our country and assure you of our support. Whatever we can do to encourage the industry to patronise this investment, we will do because it is important that operators take advantage of available in-country capacity,” he added.
The Brentex facility, which has already attracted over $26 million in investments, is expected to become Africa’s first fully integrated 2-inch to 48-inch steel pipe induction bending and coating plant when completed. The plant will provide integrated steel pipe induction bending, heat treatment, testing and coating services for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Brentex Petroleum Services Limited, Mr. Chidi Nzerem, appreciated the NCDMB delegation for the visit, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the project.
He acknowledged the Board’s support over the past decade, noting that its interventions had played a significant role in the project’s development.
According to him, the facility was conceived to support the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, and is expected to become fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Responding to questions on human capital development, Nzerem said the company plans to collaborate with the NCDMB after the facility receives certification to develop training programmes in line with the Board’s mandate.
He disclosed that the project is expected to employ about 200 engineers and technical personnel, creating opportunities for technical training, skills transfer and capacity building, with the long-term goal of having the facility fully operated by Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Project Manager of Brentex Petroleum Services Limited, Engr. Patrick Anaje, described the project as the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, saying it would transform pipeline engineering services by providing Nigeria with its first fully integrated local solution for steel pipe induction bending and coating.
He revealed that the company is currently participating in the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Natural Gas Pipeline Project, where the facility’s capabilities would support ongoing pipeline construction.
Anaje noted that with about 95 per cent of steel pipes currently imported, the new facility would enable operators to source specialised pipe induction bending, coating and repair services locally, reducing dependence on foreign suppliers, lowering procurement costs, shortening project delivery timelines and retaining more value within the Nigerian economy.
The inspection was attended by senior officials of the NCDMB, executives of Brentex Petroleum Services Limited, industry stakeholders, project consultants, contractors, representatives of the Onne and Ogu host communities, members of the Community Liaison Committee (CLC) and members of the media.
