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Coleman Technical Industries Limited has urged stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to embrace technology and deepen collaboration as critical drivers of innovation, job creation, efficiency and sustainable growth across the energy value chain.
Speaking during a panel session at the 25th NOG Energy Week Conference and Exhibition, Coleman’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, George Onafowokan, said the future of the energy industry would be shaped by organisations willing to invest in digital transformation and strategic partnerships. The session was themed, “Driving Energy Innovation: Technology-Powered Pathways for Oil and Gas.”
He noted that technology is rapidly redefining the global energy landscape, with investments in digital transformation across the oil and gas sector expected to increase significantly between 2025 and 2030, making innovation an imperative rather than an option.
According to him, the manufacturing sector has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from labour-intensive production systems to highly automated operations that deliver greater efficiency, improved product quality and enhanced safety standards.
Reflecting on Coleman’s own journey, Onafowokan recalled that nearly three decades ago, the company’s factory employed about 120 workers but produced less than one per cent of its current output.
“Today, through automation and technologies such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), we have embedded quality assurance, quality control and health, safety and compliance into our production processes while significantly improving efficiency,” he said.
He explained that advances in automation now enable a single operator to manage equipment that previously required several workers, while artificial intelligence has accelerated product design, strengthened value engineering and improved manufacturers’ ability to compete on price.
Highlighting the practical impact of technology on local manufacturing, Onafowokan disclosed that Coleman recently designed and produced a specialised Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) cable for an international oil company in just four weeks, compared with the conventional six-month delivery period.
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The cable, which had previously been imported from the United States, is now manufactured locally by Coleman and has been assessed by the client as outperforming the imported product.
“We are now the default producer of VFD cables for that international oil company, supplying its offshore facilities on a monthly basis. This demonstrates the long-term value of investing in technology despite the high initial costs,” Onafowokan said.
Beyond technology adoption, he stressed that collaboration remains indispensable to industrial growth, arguing that no company or sector can achieve sustainable success in isolation.
He pointed to Coleman’s long-standing partnership with a technology provider, which has evolved from supporting the company’s early investment in a data centre to deploying artificial intelligence-powered data solutions and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for real-time production monitoring.
According to him, stronger partnerships among manufacturers, technology companies, international oil companies and indigenous operators will be essential to building a more competitive, resilient and efficient energy ecosystem capable of meeting Nigeria’s growing industrial ambitions.
While acknowledging that digital transformation requires substantial capital investment, Onafowokan maintained that the long-term returns far outweigh the initial costs. “The adoption and evolution of technology are not cheap, but the long-term value is enormous. As efficiency improves, productivity increases, competitiveness grows and the investment ultimately delivers stronger returns,” he said.
He also called for greater investment in Manufacturing Execution Systems and collaborative initiatives that would reduce the cost of technology adoption across industries. In addition, he urged organisations to integrate technology development into their corporate social responsibility programmes to foster innovation, strengthen local manufacturing capabilities and accelerate Nigeria’s industrial development.
Other panellists at the session included GIL Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Gbolahan Lawal; Group General Manager, Commercial and Business Development at Oilserv Group, Engr. Cheta Okwuosa; Chief Executive Officer of Tolusi, Tosin Joel; and Transformation Manager at Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Dilys-Ann Owen.
