ELIZABETH VINCENT, Yenagoa
A delegation from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday visited MT Valves West Africa, located within the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos, to assess the company’s operations and its plans to invest in a 15,000-ton-per-year industrial valve manufacturing facility.
MT Valves West Africa is a subsidiary of MT Group, a global manufacturer of industrial valves with operations across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The group currently manufactures 60,000 tons of valves annually from its facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and operates a cutting-edge research and development center as well as a manufacturing base in Shanghai, China, which also serves as its global headquarters.
The NCDMB delegation was led by the Special Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Harmony Kunu.
Other members included Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, Manager, Media and Publicity; and Ms. Chika Enwerem, Manager, Commercial Ventures.
Representing MT Valves West Africa were the Managing Director, Mr. Thomas Zhang, and the Sales Director, Mr. Elliot Aigbokhade. They explained that the company specializes in the design and supply of various types of industrial valves for the oil and gas, petrochemical, and related sectors.
Despite entering the Nigerian market only a few years ago, the company is already a vendor to Shell Nigeria.
During the tour, the MT Valves representatives walked the NCDMB team through the company’s plans and current operations. They emphasized that their activities in Nigeria are fully aligned with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. The company has commenced the process of establishing an advanced manufacturing workshop in the Lekki Free Zone, aimed at enhancing local value addition, capacity building, and compliance with national development goals.
They noted that currently, no company manufactures industrial valves in Nigeria, highlighting a critical gap in the local supply chain. MT Valves aims to bridge this gap by developing a facility comparable to its Abu Dhabi plant, which exports to several countries worldwide.
The Lekki facility is expected to begin with an initial production capacity of 15,000 valves per year, with plans for phased expansion, local sourcing, and development of a robust and resilient supply chain.
The company is targeting the Nigerian market and has ambitions to serve the broader regional market as well.
In addition to manufacturing, the facility will offer maintenance and repair services, as well as valve assembly operations.
The company also plans to obtain necessary certifications from the NCDMB and other regulatory bodies, while demonstrating the investment’s return potential.
The investment blueprint includes sourcing certain raw materials locally, creating employment opportunities, partnering with Nigerian businesses, and training local talent both within Nigeria and abroad. The company requested NCDMB’s regulatory support and industry introductions to help facilitate market penetration. Some equipment has already been installed at the facility, while critical components are currently en route to Nigeria.
In response, NCDMB officials reiterated the Board’s support for credible investments that promote capacity building and bridge industry gaps, in line with the NOGICD Act. They highlighted the importance of domiciliation and domestication of industry capacities to generate employment for Nigerians and support President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for national industrialization.
The Board encouraged MT Valves West Africa to develop a detailed investment roadmap, including defined milestones, Nigerian content targets, raw material sources, and economic impact projections. They also invited the company to participate in the upcoming Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF), scheduled for May 20–22, 2025, where they can explore new industry projects and market opportunities.
As a follow-up, MT Valves invited representatives from the NCDMB, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), and Nigeria LNG Limited to visit its facilities in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, to gain first-hand insight into the company’s capabilities and the scale of investment planned for Nigeria.
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