Coleman CEO seeks investments in telecom sector
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Coleman Wires and Cables Industries Limited, Mr. George Onafowokan, has urged stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecom sector to embrace bold, in-country investments to bridge skill gaps and drive indigenous growth. He spoke as a panelist at the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Skill Gaps in the Telecom Value Chain, themed “Bridging the […]
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Coleman Wires and Cables Industries Limited, Mr. George Onafowokan, has urged stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecom sector to embrace bold, in-country investments to bridge skill gaps and drive indigenous growth.
He spoke as a panelist at the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Skill Gaps in the Telecom Value Chain, themed “Bridging the Telecom Value Chain Skill Gaps — Empowering Indigenous Talents for Industry Growth.”
Onafowokan emphasized that becoming an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in Nigeria requires not just courage but a willingness to defy skepticism.
“First and foremost, the biggest issue is this: are you brave enough—or crazy enough—to invest?” he said. “To become an OEM manufacturer here means investing in in-country production, not sitting in India or China and exporting products to Nigeria.”
He cited Coleman’s pioneering efforts in local production, including the establishment of Nigeria’s first fiber optic cable factory in 2022, with a 60,000 cable-kilometer annual capacity. By October 2025, a second plant in Shagamu will be commissioned, boosting total output to over 300,000 cable kilometers annually.
As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Onafowokan stressed that Coleman’s success has been built on continuous training, retraining, and deliberate capacity building. Currently, the company employs around 800 staff, with fewer than 10 expatriates, and nearly 50% of its cable products are not manufactured elsewhere in Africa.