Nigeria Machine Tools to cut dependence on imported machines  

Nigeria Machines Tools Limited (NMTL), in a bid to catalyse industrialisation in the country, has partnered with several government-owned establishments, such as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to boost machine tools production in the country and in turn, reduce the cost of quality tools to local end users, create more jobs and grow exports.

This was disclosed on Tuesday, February 7 when  NMTL hosted the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB),  Simbi Waobote and members of his delegation, who were on a familiarisation tour of the company’s 110-hectare manufacturing complex.

In his welcome address at the event, the Managing Director of NTML,  Nobert Chukwuma, said the company would continue to play its role to ensure Nigeria meets its industrialisation goals, despite the challenges that abound. Chukwuma said the company’s capacity utilisation still stands at 45 percent, identifying other challenges such as anti-competitive pricing and dependency on imported tools.

The Executive Secretary pledged NCDMB’s full support to the company. He commended Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNPECO) for identifying and partnering with NTML saying, “I am particularly impressed with the facilities I have seen here today. I commend SNEPCO for identifying and partnering with an indigenous company to manufacture tools useful to the industry. I assure you we will latch on to what SNEPCO has done, especially on your potential to manufacture bolts, flanges and other accessories and call on other IOCs and indigenous oil companies to patronize you.”

Wabote further assured the company of patronage on ongoing projects and lauded the standard of the company’s training facilities. NMTL has a flourishing fully equipped training school, open to the public, as well as for industries that require training for their technical manpower in a wide range of technical skill sets.
He further said, “There is no other place to train machinists in this country like what I have seen here. I urge you to upgrade the trainings to certification standards because this constitutes 80 percent of your market. If you can do this, the patronage from NCDMB will be limitless. NCDMB will throw its weight behind you.”

The chairman of NTML,  Didi Ndiomu further reiterated the company’s commitment to continually manufacture tools that can compete both locally and internationally, assuring the Executive Secretary his recommendations would be applied and result delivered.

NMTL’s facility consists of four assembly and heavy machine shops, three light machine shops, and a foundry with independent pattern and casting shops and a dedicated training school and the second largest foundry in the country.
In the past decade, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector has experienced a positive turn with the privatisation of Nigeria Machine Tools Limited (NMTL). The company founded in 1980, in Osogbo Osun State, offers precision engineered products, production and distribution of machine tools and accessories, mechanical spares and after sales support.