Valves West Africa, a subsidiary of global industrial giant MT Group, has announced plans to establish a 15,000-ton valves manufacturing facility in Lekki Free Zone, Lagos.
The company made this known during a site visit by a delegation from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), noting that the project would fill a major gap in the country’s oil and gas sector and stimulate local capacity development.
Thomas Zhang, managing director of MT Valves West Africa, said that the new factory would focus on the design, assembly, maintenance, and manufacturing of industrial valves for Nigeria’s oil and gas, petrochemical, and allied sectors.
“No company is manufacturing industrial valves in Nigeria today. We want to change that narrative by building a plant here that matches our facility in Abu Dhabi.
“We are not just coming to sell; we are here to invest, train Nigerians, develop local content, and build a resilient supply chain. Our goal is to establish Nigeria as a regional hub for industrial valves.”
According to him, the initial production target is 15,000 valves annually, with plans to scale up gradually.
He disclosed that some production equipment had already been installed, while other critical components are en route to Nigeria.
“We will also source raw materials locally where possible and work with Nigerian partners to ensure long-term sustainability. This is not just about business—it’s about helping to industrialise Nigeria.”
He added that his organisation has begun the process of securing certifications and complying with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, NOGICD Act, which guides local content in the sector.
He 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.
The NCDMB delegation, led by Harmony Kunu, special technical assistant to the executive secretary, expressed strong support for the investment but called for a clear implementation framework.
According to him, the project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s mandate to create jobs and industrialize.
“The Nigerian Content mantra is about domiciliation and domestication. We are ready to support credible investors, but we want to see a robust investment plan with clear milestones, raw material sources, local content targets, and economic contributions,” Kunu said.
