Namibia’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Walde Ndavishiya, says Namibia is looking to Nigerian expertise, including protective-coating technology from Solewant Group, to help build out its emerging oil and gas industry as offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin multiply.
Speaking at the commissioning of Solewant Specialty Protective Coating and Paints Limited’s new manufacturing plant in Alode, Rivers State, Ndavishiya said Namibia’s petroleum sector was moving from exploration toward appraisal, development and eventual production, with TotalEnergies advancing its Venus discovery, Shell and QatarEnergy continuing exploration at PEL 39, and Galp and its partners progressing the Mopane discovery. He said this transition would create opportunities across engineering, fabrication, logistics, coatings and corrosion protection that Nigerian companies like Solewant are well placed to fill, adding that Solewant’s new branch office in Windhoek could become the foundation of a long-term partnership.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, commissioned the plant and said it demonstrated the growth of indigenous oil and gas service companies over the past 15 years, positioning Solewant as a manufacturing hub for the continent. Solewant unveiled 11 new coating products under its Solguard and Novaguard brands, designed to protect pipelines, offshore platforms, refineries and other infrastructure in harsh environments, with chief executive Solomon Ewanehi saying the plant ends 16 years of relying on imported industrial coatings for Nigeria’s oil and gas assets.Source: businessday.ng