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…As Bakare dedicates new headquarters
The Senior Pastor of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has described the 50-year growth of Coleman Technical Industries Limited as remarkable, saying the Nigerian cable manufacturer is poised to become a globally recognised brand.
Bakare stated this at the inauguration of Coleman’s new 4,900-square-metre headquarters recently in Arepo, Ogun State, following the company’s 50th anniversary celebration. The modern facility, according to the company, was designed to strengthen its operations and position it for the next phase of expansion.
Speaking at the ceremony, Bakare said Coleman’s journey from a modest beginning to a major player in Africa’s cable industry demonstrated what could be achieved through sustained commitment, investment and nurturing of a business.
“The brand Coleman started as a little mustard seed. And like Jesus said, if you plant it and you water it, it’s going to become a mighty herb that other birds of the air can come and take a rest in it,” he said.
Bakare added that Coleman’s growth over five decades was only the beginning, expressing confidence that the company would eventually attain global recognition. “It started very harmless some 50 years ago and now it’s become a phenomenon in Africa, and we know that it’s not stopping here. It will still be the pinnacle of becoming a global brand as the Lord lives,” he said.
The cleric, who said he had been associated with the Coleman family for many years, also urged the company’s leadership to build a transgenerational institution capable of surviving and thriving across generations.
Bakare said he had watched the growth of Coleman’s Chief Executive Officer, George Onafowokan, and his deputy over the years, urging them to preserve the company’s legacy and ensure its continuity.
“My wish for them is that as their father passes it to them, they will pass it to the next generation and it will continue like that,” he said, citing Ford Motor Company as an example of a business that has maintained its legacy across generations.
Earlier, Chairman of Coleman Technical Industries Limited, Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan, expressed satisfaction with the completion of the headquarters, saying the facility had surpassed his expectations. He recalled that the company began with a 2,000-square-metre factory before expanding into its present operation.
Onafowokan attributed Coleman’s transformation to God, its employees, customers and other stakeholders, while challenging the company to surpass its current position in the African cable industry over the next 50 years. He disclosed that Coleman is currently ranked sixth in Africa and first in West Africa.
He said the company’s long-term development strategy was built around 25-year cycles, with the current phase focused on achieving greater milestones, strengthening its market position and expanding its footprint beyond Africa.
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For Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Coleman, George Onafowokan, the new headquarters represents far more than an office building, describing it as a physical expression of the company’s vision for the next 50 years.
George said the facility was particularly significant because Coleman had evolved into a generational business with a legacy spanning more than five decades. “This is dedicated to the staff and everyone who has made this possible—the Nigerians who have contributed to the industry, particularly the cable industry, and to making Nigeria a household name in the global cable industry,” he said.
He added that the headquarters was designed with the future in mind, stressing that Coleman would continue to expand its workforce and operations as the business grows.
“The past 50 years are not the whole story. What matters is what happens in the next 50 years, and that is what this building signifies to us—the next 50 years and the positive outlook that Nigerians will continue to be employed by Coleman, by this family, and by generations to come,” he said.
Also speaking, Coleman’s Executive Director, Michael Onafowokan, said the company’s growth had been driven by its commitment to self-sufficiency, local content and the development of Nigerian capacity in cable manufacturing. He said Coleman had expanded its locally manufactured product range and contributed significantly to the development of Nigeria’s cable industry.
Michael stressed that no country could achieve self-sufficiency in the power sector without a strong and viable cable manufacturing industry. He urged Coleman to sustain its investments and continue placing Nigeria on the global map through local production and technical capacity.
On manpower development, he said the company had invested heavily in nurturing local talent through partnerships with technical schools and universities. He disclosed that about 40 percent of Coleman’s middle managers started with the company as members of the National Youth Service Corps before being retained, trained and developed into management positions.
Chairman and Managing Director of Sana Group, Dr Alaa Alghadban, who spoke on the construction of the headquarters, said the project was completed within 20 months of reaching an agreement with Coleman.
He explained that the structure was built using lightweight concrete combined with prefabricated steel sections, a construction method that significantly reduced the overall weight of the facility.
According to Alghadban, conventional concrete weighs about 400 kilogrammes per square metre, while the lightweight concrete used for the Coleman headquarters weighs approximately 100 kilogrammes per square metre. He said the method reduced the overall load of the approximately 5,000-square-metre built-up area by about 1,500 tonnes, while also improving sustainability through better heat and sound insulation, faster construction and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by Pastor Bakare’s wife, Pastor Laide Bakare, members of the Onafowokan family, friends, business associates and other dignitaries, as Coleman formally opened a new chapter in its five-decade journey.
