Nigeria’s Energy Sector on the Spotlight as Solewant Group Showcases Latest Technological Innovation at OTC 2026.

 Segun Peters

Nigeria’s oil and gas industry attracted global attention at the recently concluded 2026 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) as Solewant Group showed the latest industry technology to energy professionals, government officials, and researchers from more than 100 countries in four days of technical exchange, executive dialogues, and dealmaking.

Anchored by the theme: ‘Steering Offshore Energy Innovation into the Future,’ the 2026 OTC held from May 4-7, traced the contours of a global energy sector that is navigating rising global demand, accelerating digitalization, and a more complex geopolitical map than at any point in recent memory.

Over 25,000 people attended OTC Houston, and this year’s conference featured nine executive dialogues, 18 keynote addresses, 48 technical sessions, and a wide range of additional presentations covering the full spectrum of the offshore industry.

 The exhibition  floor hosted nearly 1,000 companies, from major operators and service companies to a growing roster of digital, robotics, and energy-transition technology providers, including Solewant Group, which maintained one of the largest private exhibition booths in Nigeria Pavilion at the event.

The Team of Experts of Solewant Group led by the Executive Director of Solewant Specialty Protective Coatings and Paints Limited (SSPC), a member of Solewant Group, Mr. Isa Momodu, and delegations from Brazil, Canada, Guyana, Argentina, Indonesia, and a group of other African nations, offered attendees a window into regional regulatory frameworks, project pipelines, and cross-border partnerships. 

Momodu is also the Group Head of Solewant Group in the United States.

Momodu led the company’s delegations with Solewant Group’s General Manager, Marketing and Sales, Dr. Felix Onyela.

 Onyela made the presentation on behalf of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Solewant Group, Mr. Solomon Ewanehi.

Other Team of Experts of the company also attended and participated, as delegates and Exhibitors, at the conference and exhibition of 2026 OTC in Houston Texas

Solewant Group is a global leader in the provision of steel pipes, pipe coating solutions, metal fabrication, manufacturing and supply of specialty protective paints, and specialty coating application solutions.

In a presentation on Solewant Group’s technological innovations, which he presented on behalf of the GCEO of Solewant Group, Ewanehi, the company’s General Manager, Marketing and Sales, Onyela noted that Solewant’s industrial complex has continued to expand into a fully integrated energy infrastructure hub in Alode/Onne, Elme LGA of Rivers State.

“In July 2025, we addressed the age-long difficulty faced by our clients, and now provide and protect their pipeline assets with premium solutions,” Onyela explained.

“We manufacture steel pipe, provide pipe coating solutions, supply of coated pipes, pipeline field joint coating solutions and Manpower Training services for Energy business organizations” he added.

 Onyela explained that over the years, they identified a critical challenge in providing multi-layer polyethylene/polypropylene coating solutions on irregularly shaped pipeline fittings like pipe bends, tees, and flanges, despite specifications by IOCs and other Asset owners to protect these pipeline fittings with compatible mill-applied coating systems. This difficulty led to coating failures, corrosion on these parts, leaks, revenue loss, and environmental damage.

“To address this challenge, we worked with key Euro-American OEMs, developed, built, and commissioned a state-of-the-art pipe bend coating plant in July, 2025 at our industrial park in Alode, Eleme- Onne, Rivers State, Nigeria”, he said.

He said “this factory is operational and enables us to deploy multi-layer coating technology with precision and accuracy, ensuring enhanced protection and reduced maintenance.” 

He added that the Coating of small to large diameter pipe bends for NNPC and EPC companies are now currently utilizing the Solewant Group pipe bend coating factory at Eleme, Rivers State.

He identified key developments at the factory to include: multi-layer pipe coating systems, steel pipe manufacturing and fabrication facility, state of the art laboratory.

Onyela also identified the SSPC Automated Specialty coating and paints Manufacturing factory as an ongoing project that was slated for completion and commissioning in July 2026.

According to him, the development and expansion marks a decisive evolution—from delivering services to orchestrating a fully integrated industrial ecosystem.

He also declared that the expansion was a reflection of Solewant Group’s transition into a position of influence, where competence, infrastructure, and innovation converge to shape not just projects, but the future of Africa’s energy landscape.

Onyela noted that Solewant Group’s strategic presence across major global and regional platforms in 2025 has further solidified its position as a globally relevant African industrial brand- one that is not only participating in conversations but actively shaping the future of energy infrastructure, technology, and local capacity development.

From North Africa to Sub-Saharan Africa, Onyela said Solewant has consistently demonstrated its integrated industrial strength, showcasing capabilities that span pipe coating, steel fabrication, specialty coatings, and energy sector training.

These engagements, Onyela said, were a reflection of a deliberate strategy designed to align with global best practices while advancing Africa’s industrial independence.

Onyela also showcased Solewant Group’s fully integrated industrial ecosystem, highlighting the strength and synergy of its subsidiaries.

These subsidiaries include: Solewant Nigeria Limited (SNL) – Africa’s largest multi-layer pipe coating facility, delivering advanced coating systems including 3LPE, 3LPP, FBE, and CWC; Field Joint Coatings Limited (FJCL) – specialised solutions for onshore and offshore pipeline joint protection; Solewant Specialty Protective Coatings & Paints Limited (SSPC) – high-performance industrial coating applications and protective systems; Pipes and Metals Industries Limited (PMI) – Steel pipe manufacturing and precision metal fabrication; and Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI) –industry-focused training and certification for Africa’s energy workforce.

 During the presentation, the company emphasized PMI – engineering design, metal fabrication, pipeline structures, integrated water systems, and elevated tanks. It also showcased FJCL – heat shrink sleeve applications and advanced pipeline coating solutions in compliance with ISO 2016.

In the area of SSPC, the manufacturing and distribution of protective paints, specialty coatings and thermal insulation solutions were unveiled at the conference.

The company also highlighted SETI – industry-relevant training programmes for oil and gas professionals.

Apart from Solewant Group’s presentation, other widely attended sessions included an Executive Dialogue with Kyle Haustveit of the United States Department of Energy. 

After a landmark Opening General Session featuring the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who delivered an address before a packed audience, the Nigerian Pavilion was opened by the Commission Chief Executive (CCE) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan.

However, President Ali’s speech marked what was described by the conference organisers as one of the highest-profile head-of-state appearances in OTC’s history, reinforcing the conference’s standing as a neutral global venue where industry, governments, and academia converge. 

Speaking at the ‘NUPRC/PETAN Evolution Exchange’ session at the Nigerian pavilion organized by the NUPRC and the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Eyesan disclosed that almost 300 applicants made up of local and foreign companies were competing for just 50 oil blocks in the ongoing Nigeria’s 2025 licensing round, describing it as a testament to a renewed investor confidence in the upstream sector.

Eyesan, who assumed office in December 2025, linked the surge in interest to sweeping reforms and a more competitive regulatory environment under PIA.

According to her, the PIA provided clarity to the rules of engagement and made the industry more competitive in terms of the systems and even the regulatory environment.

“When we enacted the PIA, we thought we had achieved competitiveness. However, within a few years of implementing the PIA, when we did a global benchmark, a global study, we found that the PIA terms were not as competitive as they were two years prior. So, the current administration, the current government has been very responsive to constantly evaluate where we are and ensure that they provide incentives to attract and retain investment in Nigeria”, Eyesan reportedly explained.

On his part, the Chairman of PETAN, Mr. Wole Ogunsanya, said technology and partnerships were critical to ramping Nigeria’s oil production to three million barrels per day in five years.

He said the push to increase oil output was critical for both the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quotas and domestic refineries now coming online. 

 “In the industry, when you’ve not produced 2 million barrels of oil for the past 15 years, you cannot just wake up overnight to do that. You’re going to need a lot of equipment because some of the old equipment will be obsolete. You need new technology today that will make that production and exploration easier, safer, and cheaper”, he reportedly explained.

 Onyela and other company representatives used the OTC fair opportunity to invite global oil and gas Experts to 10th Africa Energy Summit, powered by SETI, on November 26 to 27 , 2026, at their industrial park,  

Solewant Group’s presence was defined by active participation in high-level discussions on Africa’s energy future—emphasizing the need for cross-border collaboration, indigenous capacity development, and sustainable industrial growth.

“In an era of heightened geopolitical tension, offshore energy is more critical than ever—and OTC is the platform delivering the technology shaping its future,” said Chairman of the OTC Board of Directors, Dan McConnell.

“The conversations on stage and across the exhibit floor reflect an industry that is more globally connected, more technologically ambitious, and more central to the energy security debate than at any point I can recall. We are grateful to the speakers, exhibitors, and delegates who made this week possible,” McConnell added.

In an era where industrial transformation defines national competitiveness, Solewant Group has continued to position itself as a cornerstone of Africa’s energy infrastructure evolution.

…..Peters, a global energy analyst, writes from Houston, Texas in the United States.