Solomon Onafowokan’s Coleman opens Africa’s largest fibre-optic cable plant

Coleman Technical Industries has commissioned a new fibre-optic cable manufacturing plant in Sagamu, Ogun State, expanding its production base under the direction of founder and chairman Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan. The new facility, the largest of its kind in Africa, is designed to produce up to 9 million kilometres of fibre-optic cable annually, supporting Nigeria’s goal of building a self-reliant digital infrastructure network.

The launch coincided with the company’s 50th anniversary and drew senior government officials, telecommunications executives and industrial leaders. The Sagamu complex, which sits on more than 350,000 square metres, also houses a smelting section with capacity for 3,000 tons of aluminium and 10,000 tons of copper per month.

Speaking at the event, Onafowokan said the investment reflects Coleman’s long-term commitment to local manufacturing and to the government’s digital-economy agenda. He noted that the plant would enable Nigeria to meet its fibre demand internally and position the company for exports across West Africa. Coleman, he said, is targeting about N15 trillion (US$10 billion) in combined domestic and export revenue in coming years.

The chairman called for expedited approval of the 2025 Fiscal Measuring Policy and Free-Trade Zone status for the Sagamu plant, saying those measures are needed to unlock full production potential and attract international partnerships.

President Bola Tinubu, represented at the ceremony, praised the initiative as a milestone for Nigeria’s industrial diversification. He described the facility as “the backbone of the country’s digital future,” citing its role in broadband expansion and technology inclusion.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, announced a collaboration between the ministry and Coleman to deploy about 90,000 kilometres of cable nationwide, part of a World Bank-backed broadband program worth $500 million.

Onafowokan, who founded Coleman in the early 1970s as a small wire manufacturer in Lagos, has grown it into Nigeria’s leading cable producer with multiple plants in Ogun and Lagos states. The Sagamu project, he said, represents the company’s next phase — moving from power and copper cables into advanced fibre technology to power Nigeria’s connectivity goals.