As part of efforts aimed at unlocking access to on-demand advanced manufacturing capabilities that support local critical industries such as mining, energy, manufacturing, maritime and defence, Arridex recently signed a definitive agreement to establish the Ghana Node of its Africa Distributed Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) Network, officially launching the continent’s first borderless manufacturing network.

With the designation of Sodah Engineering and Logistics Limited, a wholly Ghanaian-owned engineering and logistics company, as the exclusive ADAM Network node partner in Ghana, the strategic milestone formally connects Ghanaian and West African industry to Arridex’s flagship Omnifactory hub in Lagos.

In his speech, Group Chief Executive Officer of Arridex, Kayode Adeleke said, “across Africa, industry does not stop for want of ambition or talent; many times, it stops for want of a critical part in a piece of legacy equipment. Today, we begin a borderless manufacturing network, conceived to rewrite how manufacturing and maintenance happens across our continent.

“By expanding our footprint into Ghana, we are establishing the core building blocks of a seamlessly connected, tech-driven manufacturing network that empowers local industries to produce high-value components on demand and build operational resilience.” He noted.

On his part, Managing Director of Sodah Engineering and Logistics Limited Dr. Tesa Ayernor stated, “when a critical part fails in Ghana today, industry can wait months for a replacement to arrive from another continent, and that wait is one of the largest undiscussed costs in our economy.”

Ayernor, who is also the operator of ADAM Network Ghana Node disclosed that the network presents an opportunity for the region to leapfrog into the future, going far beyond solving supply chain problems for industries to establishing true manufacturing capability.

To him, “as the first node of the ADAM Network, Ghana has the opportunity to model what is possible for every node that follows on the continent.”

Work on the Ghana Node commences immediately, prioritising market awareness, technical training, and engagement with Ghanaian industry. Arridex and Sodah will collaborate closely with Ghanaian research institutions to ensure advanced digital manufacturing knowledge takes deep root locally, as part of local capacity development efforts.

The Ghana Node activation serves as the blueprint for an aggressive pan-African rollout. Over the next five years, Arridex aims to scale the network to 25 nodes across 15 African countries, anchored by the Lagos Omnifactory and the planned expansion to the Mega Omnifactory in 2027.