Industrial manufacturing in Nigeria and West Africa at large has reached a historic milestone in 3D printing, as Arridex formally floated its breakthrough “Omnifactory” in Lagos.

The newly opened facility stands as the region’s very first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility, paving the way for a major shift toward localized production and self-reliance.

The launch follows a strategic rebranding of the company’s corporate identity from RusselSmith to Ariddex.

Lagos State Governor, BabajideSanwo-Olu who officially launched the plant, said: “Today, I opened West Africa’s first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility in Lagos. By producing industrial components and spare parts here in Lagos, Arridex is helping to reduce our dependence on imports, strengthening critical industries and supporting economic growth.

“I commend the Arridex team for their vision and commitment to building solutions that serve not only Nigeria but the wider African continent. Lagos will continue to support investments that create opportunities, grow local capacity and position our state as a hub for innovation and industry,” he stated.

The ArridexOmnifactory aims to reshape industrial supply chains by housing several advanced 3D printing and fabrication techniques under a single roof. Utilizing cutting-edge systems like Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Cold Spray, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), the Lagos facility is built to create high-precision, on-demand industrial components and replacement parts. Beyond standard gear, the site’s large-format machinery is robust enough to engineer full-sized marine parts and massive structural items for heavy industries.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Arridex, Kayode Adeleke, said: “We did not set out to build the biggest company, but a resilient one.

For over two decades, we have chosen the harder path, and that is to make in Africa what others import, to meet global standards without exception, and to put purpose before profit. The ArridexOmnifactory is where that conviction becomes infrastructure.

“The name on the door is new, but the work behind it is not. We are not stopping here. By the first quarter of 2027, we will commission the Arridex Mega Omnifactory, which will stand among the largest single-site industrial additive manufacturing facilities in the world. The next chapter of global manufacturing can be written from Lagos. We are building it,” he said.

According to him, this launch represents a massive leap forward for regional infrastructure, offering a direct solution to the supply bottlenecks that have choked West African enterprise for decades.

Historically, asset managers operating aging systems had to deal with grueling shipping lead times, complex international legalities, and the absolute vanishing of parts from long-defunct original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The Omnifactory bypasses these hurdles entirely by enabling critical pieces to be conceptualized, rendered, and printed locally on demand.

The company currently holds Pioneer Status in additive manufacturing from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and is the first enterprise qualified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for 3D printing deployments in the oil patch. Furthermore, Arridex has solidified a joint venture partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to locally manufacture military-grade components.

On the global stage, Arridex has also stepped up as the first African member of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA) and is recognized as a Designated Strategic Partner of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC).