In a moment of profound national pride and continental significance, Coleman Technical Industries Limited (CTIL) has launched the largest fibre-optic cable manufacturing factory in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. The landmark unveiling, which coincided with the company’s 50th anniversary celebration, marks a defining chapter in Nigeria’s industrial and digital transformation story, one that blends half a century of manufacturing excellence with a bold vision for the continent’s technological future.
For fifty years, Coleman Technical Industries has stood as a symbol of indigenous innovation, resilience, and quality. Founded in 1975 with the mission to localize cable production and reduce dependency on imports, the company began modestly in Idimu, Lagos, producing basic electrical wires. Over the decades, it expanded operations through massive investments in new plants at Arepo and Sagamu, becoming a trusted brand in power cables, communication lines, and industrial conductors. Its unwavering pursuit of excellence earned Coleman a place as the largest wire and cable manufacturer in West Africa and today, it has elevated that legacy into a higher realm with the launch of Africa’s most advanced fibre-optic cable factory.
The new facility, located in Sagamu, Ogun State, has the capacity to produce over nine million kilometres of fibre-optic cables annually. Built with cutting-edge technology and supported by partnerships with international engineering experts, the factory represents not only the first of its scale in West Africa but also a cornerstone of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure ambitions. Fibre-optic cables, which form the backbone of broadband connectivity, data transmission, and modern telecommunications, are essential to every aspect of a 21st-century economy from internet access and fintech to cloud computing and smart cities. By producing these cables locally, Coleman is bridging a decades-long technological gap, reducing reliance on imports, and strengthening Africa’s ability to build and maintain its own digital highways.
The economic and industrial implications of this achievement are immense. Coleman’s new fibre-optic factory is projected to generate over 20,000 direct jobs and more than 200,000 indirect employment opportunities within its first five years, spanning logistics, telecom installation, engineering, training, and distribution. The company has set its sights on a ₦15 trillion revenue milestone, with over half of that expected from export earnings. This move positions Nigeria as a net exporter of fibre-optic cables, a feat that would have been unthinkable just a decade ago. Beyond revenue, the factory is expected to save the country hundreds of billions in foreign exchange annually by drastically cutting down on the importation of fibre-optic cables and related components.
Coleman’s economic vision is structured around a clear expansion and impact timeline. In its first operational year, the factory will focus on commissioning, workforce stabilization, and meeting domestic demand, producing roughly 20 percent of its total capacity. By 2026 and 2027, production is expected to scale to 70 percent, with exports beginning across West Africa to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and the ECOWAS region. By 2028, full production will be achieved, establishing Nigeria as the continent’s largest supplier of fibre-optic cables. At that stage, the company expects revenues exceeding ₦10 trillion annually, with more than 50 percent of its products serving international markets. By 2030, Coleman aims to fully integrate automation, backward production of raw materials, and sustainability systems, transforming Sagamu and Arepo into Africa’s fibre-optic manufacturing hub.
The implications for Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure are both immediate and transformative. The country’s broadband penetration currently hovers around 45 percent, hindered by the high cost of imported fibre and limited local availability. With Coleman’s local production now online, the cost of fibre deployment is projected to drop by up to 15 percent, allowing telecom operators and infrastructure companies to extend broadband networks to more rural and underserved communities. Over the next five years, this could push broadband penetration beyond 70 percent, unlocking digital access for millions and empowering sectors such as education, healthcare, e-commerce, and financial technology. The government’s ongoing initiative to deploy over 90,000 kilometres of national fibre routes will find a strong ally in Coleman’s massive capacity and commitment to indigenous supply.
On a continental scale, Coleman’s expansion into fibre manufacturing positions Nigeria as a critical supplier in Africa’s rapidly growing digital economy. As data centres multiply, cloud storage expands, and cross-border fibre projects connect African nations, the demand for high-quality cables continues to rise. Rather than importing from Asia or Europe, African countries can now source from Nigeria, shortening delivery timelines, cutting logistics costs, and building regional resilience. Coleman’s goal is not just to serve Nigeria or West Africa, but to make the country the continent’s go-to hub for fibre infrastructure, supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) vision of integrated economic development and intra-African trade.
The ripple effects of this achievement extend far beyond manufacturing. Local production of fibre-optic cables means new opportunities for technical education, skill development, and research partnerships. Coleman’s ongoing plans for backward integration including local production of copper, aluminium, and cable sheathing materials, ensure that the value chain remains rooted within Nigeria’s borders.
Of course, the road ahead will demand continued policy alignment, infrastructure reliability, and access to affordable financing. But Coleman’s progress over the past five decades from a small electrical wire producer to a regional industrial giant is proof that Nigerian manufacturing can compete on the global stage when vision, technology, and tenacity intersect.
As the lights of the new Sagamu factory gleam across Ogun State, they symbolize much more than machinery or metal. They represent a nation’s shift from dependency to self-reliance, from consumption to creation, and from importation to innovation. Coleman Technical Industries Limited has not only written a new chapter in its corporate journey; it has rewritten the story of African industrialization. In the quiet hum of its new production lines lies the promise of a digitally connected continent, one powered by Nigerian ingenuity and built for the future.
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