The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has praised Brentex Petroleum Services Limited for the progress made on its new Steel Pipe Induction Bending and Coating Facility at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), Onne Port, in Rivers State.
The Board called the project a landmark development that underscores Nigeria’s emergence as a key centre for oil and gas logistics, engineering and manufacturing.
According to a statement signed by Obinna Ezeobi, PhD, General Manager of Corporate Communications at NCDMB, the Brentex project is a $50 million initiative designed to deliver integrated services - steel pipe induction bending, heat treatment, testing and coating - tailored to the needs of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The facility has already attracted more than $26 million in investment and is projected, when complete, to become Africa’s first fully integrated plant capable of handling steel pipes from 2 inches to 48 inches.
NCDMB added that the plant not only strengthens local capacity and supply-chain resilience but also demonstrates increased confidence by industry players in Nigeria’s domestic manufacturing capability. The Board affirmed its support and commitment to promoting industry patronage of locally based facilities to maximize national content and reduce dependence on offshore services.
Speaking during a tour of the facility at Onne Port on Thursday, July 23, 2026, 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 working with industry stakeholders to deepen in-country capacity, promote industrialisation, and expand the scope of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry.
He praised Brentex Petroleum Services Limited for its bold investment, resilience, and commitment to developing indigenous capacity, noting that the company's steady progress on the facility reflected the growing confidence of Nigerian firms in delivering world-class oil and gas infrastructure and engineering solutions.
The Executive Secretary, represented by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (MED), Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq, noted that the emergence of the Brentex Steel Pipe Induction Bending and Coating Facility represents “a direct and tangible response to the quest for in-country capacity in specialised pipeline engineering services,” adding that the project would advance “our collective goal of retaining value, creating jobs, and strengthening Nigeria's position as a leading energy services hub in Africa.”
In a recollection of the beginnings of the company and the project, he disclosed, “We’ve been on this journey with Brentex for over a decade. Today, we’ve seen what you are doing on ground. And that’s actually the whole idea about the equipment component manufacturing initiative of the NCDMB – in-country value addition - and you have been steadfast.”
The NCDMB boss urged the Management of Brentex to sustain the momentum on the project and maintain the highest standards of quality, safety, and operational excellence, noting that the facility has the potential to become a flagship Nigerian Content asset and a reference point for specialised pipeline engineering services across Africa.
“I’d like to express the Board’s deep appreciation for your investment in our country, and to assure you that you have our support,” he declared, adding, “Whatever we can also do to get the industry to patronise this investment, we’ll do that, because it’s very important that the industry take advantage of what we have in-country.”
In his opening remarks, the Managing Director of BrentexPetroleum Services Limited, Mr. Chidi Nzerem thanked the Executive Secretary and the NCDMB delegation for the visit, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the project and its contribution to the growth of in-country capacity.
He also acknowledged the Board’s support and partnership over the past 10 years, noting that the sustained interventions had been instrumental to the facility’s progress, adding that it was conceived to advance the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010.
Nzerem expressed high hopes that the Board’s support would be sustained, hinting that the facility is scheduled to become fully operational in the last quarter of 2027.
Responding to an inquiry by the General Manager, Downstream, Project Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Ms. Tassalla Tersurgh, on the facility’s contribution to human capital development, the Managing Director said the company would engage NCDMB after facility certification to develop training programmes aligned with the Board’s mandate.
He disclosed that the facility is expected to engage about 200 engineers and other technical personnel, creating employment, technical training, skills transfer and capacity-building opportunities, with the long-term goal of the facility being 100 per cent handled and operated by trained Nigerians.
Speaking on the strategic importance of the facility, the Project Manager at Brentex, Engr. Patrick Anaje, stated that the facility, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, is expected to transform pipeline engineering services by providing the country's first fully integrated in-country solution for steel pipe induction bending and coating. He disclosed that Brentex is currently engaged in the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Natural Gas Pipeline project, where the company’s new capabilities would be of immense value.
He noted that with an estimated 95 per cent of steel pipes currently imported, the facility will enable operators to source specialised pipe induction bending, coating and pipe repair services locally, significantly reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and overseas repairs, shortening project delivery timelines, lowering procurement-related delays and costs, and improving operational efficiency across the oil and gas industry.
He added that the project will also deliver significant benefits to the national economy by retaining industry value within Nigeria.
The ceremony was attended by top management officials of NCDMB, executives of Brentex Petroleum Services Limited, industry stakeholders, project consultants, contractors, representatives of the host communities of Onne and Ogu, members of the Community Liaison Committee (CLC), and members of the media, who witnessed firsthand the significant progress recorded on the strategic Nigerian Content project.
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