Nigeria’s paint makers rally to create industry boom
Nigeria’s paints and coatings manufacturers are jostling to create an industry boom and ensure that the sector makes a substantial contribution to the economy.
To actualise this, industry players have concluded plans to hold a bi-annual Raw Materials, Equipment and Paints exhibition tagged ‘PMA Nigeria 2015 Coatings Show’ between October 26 and 27, 2015, at 10 am.
According to Rotimi Aluko, chairman, Paints Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMA), the event will start at 10 am each day at Sheba Centre, 20 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way (behind Briscoe Motors), Ikeja, Lagos.
“The event is the fourth edition and is intended to showcase the various raw materials, machinery, production and testing equipment, as well as packaging materials used in the production of paints, inks and paints products,” Aluko said.
“It will provide a platform for suppliers of paints raw materials and manufacturers of paints, inks and allied products in Nigeria to exchange ideas on current developments on raw materials, equipment and technology for paint manufacturing,” Aluko said.
The theme of this year’s show is ‘Enhancing Coatings Quality for the Future’. The guest speaker will be Joseph Ikem Odumodu, director-general, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), who will also deliver a paper on the theme.
The statement by the association says there will be other speakers who will deliver papers at the conference section on various issues on paint raw materials and technology.
“One of the objectives of the Association is to ensure that quality paint products are manufactured and sold to users so that they get value for their money, hence the choice of the theme,” said the chairman.
Exhibitors will come from the United States of America, Germany, Greece, South Africa, India, China, Turkey, Singapore and other parts of the world. There will also be several local exhibitors.
Nigeria’s paint industry is stymied by over-reliance on imported products, poor finance access, and high production costs, which makes the financial outlook of the sector unimpressive.
The Local Content Act became effective in the industry during the immediate past government. The Act has made oil and gas companies engage local manufacturers for the painting and coating of oil platforms, pipelines and vessels.
ODINAKA ANUDU