Sigma Coatings Nigeria-PPG formally launches group

General Manager Africa, French Overseas and Suriname, PPG Industries, Oliver Bouin (left); board member, SKN, Fahd Khouri; Olivier Couteau of Human Resources for Africa and Biswajit Sarma.

MARINE Coatings Group, with an asset base of $15.4 billion, was over the weekend launched at Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.

PPG Industries, the largest coating company in the world with its headquarters in Pittsburg, United States of America, acquired Sigma Coatings Nigeria some years ago and had been operating as Marine Coatings Group until the formal unveiling.

According to the Chairman, Sigma Coatings, Nigeria-PPG,

Robert Agbede, Sigma Coatings entered a joint venture with PPG owing to its track record.

Robert Agbede (right), Eyajife Williams and Dr. Bob Manuel

“We are here this evening to introduce this local company to the Nigeria market. We are not really new in the market per se but usually known as Sigma Coatings in Nigeria, focusing on Nigerian oil and gas market and basically, we are here to celebrate and introduce ourselves to the people to know who we are.

“Marine Coatings has always been in Nigeria. PPG actually acquired Marine Coatings some couples of years ago and what we are doing today is the actual launching with PPG as a shareholder.

“We want the Nigerian market to know that PPG is supporting us with commitment of its resources to the market, including the local manufacturing facilities.

“We are proud to say that not many coating companies can boast of the kind of facilities we are talking about in this country.

“We employ Nigerians, while we are making materials, paints and coatings for Nigerian market with Nigerians.

Chairman, Nigerian Bottling Company, Ambassador Segun Apata (left); board member, Ambassador Emeka Azikiwe; Robert Agbede; Managing Director, Mansfield Energy, Dapo Oshinusi and Chief Executive Officer, FCSL Asset Management Co. Ltd., Lekan Belo.

“Two like minded organisations are coming together just like two like minded persons come together to really maximise our resources in Nigerian market and PPG has always been ahead of the local content,” he said.

Agbede added that the venture was not just to satisfy the local content per se as PPG believed it was a good business and would always be part of the local community in which it operates.

He noted that PPG being a global and known brand notwithstanding, it was poised to establish its presence in what could be described as ‘local community’ in Nigeria.

“We, that is, Sigma Coatings and PPG would want to be seen in the market place here in Nigeria as those that mean business and not just because we are American company which PPG is, but because we want to positively affect the Nigerian market with our good quality that PPG is known for. This is the reason, that at this particular function, we have a lot of PPG personnel from not just Europe but all over the world, including America, France, Holand, South Africa among others that had to fly to Nigeria to do the launch that is taking place here today.

“Sigma Coatings and PPG could as well have decided to manufacture our products somewhere else and only import them to Nigeria as some other coating companies in Nigeria

Regional Marine Sales Manager, PPG Netherlands, Peter Schoneveid (left) and Eyajife Williams. PHOTOS: ISAAC TAIWO

do. They do not manufacture their products here in Nigeria, which goes to say that they do not contribute to employment in the nation and this is one area we are far ahead of them, despite our quality is rated as number one.

Agbede continued: “It also means that Nigerians are not benefiting from the money they are making here by putting the money back into the community and this can be described as a very bad model.

“We hire more people who would spend more money from their income which also circulate in Nigerian community as part of contribution to the nation’s economy. In a nutshell, we strengthen the economy through employment of Nigerians,” he stated.

Also speaking, the General Manager, PPG Protective and Marine, Jan Willem Tegelaar, said the joint venture was very important to growing coatings business.

“We are number one coating company in the world and our agenda is to continue to grow and invest in the emerging market here in Nigeria. Nigeria is a good ground.

“We made a first step some couples of years ago and we are making a new step now that we are really committed with our local partner to have a strong presence here in Nigerian market.

“PPG has a direct investment as a minority owner in the local company and we are looking forward to boosting the emerging local market with our presence as our ambition is to continue to grow PPG as a global company,” he enthused.