By David Owei

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has lauded Brentex Petroleum Services Limited on the significant progress recorded on its Steel Pipe Induction Bending and Coating Facility at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), Onne Port, Rivers State, describing it as a landmark industrial project and a major demonstration of Nigeria’s growing status as a leading hub for oil and gas logistics, engineering, and manufacturing services. 
The Brentex Facility is a $50 million investment being developed to provide integrated steel pipe induction bending, heat treatment, testing, and coating services for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The project, which has attracted over $26 million in investments to date, is expected to become Africa’s first fully integrated 2-inch to 48-inch steel pipe induction bending and coating plant upon completion.
Speaking during a tour of the facility at Onne Port on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, congratulated Brentex Petroleum Services Limited on the project and reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to working with industry stakeholders to deepen in-country capacity, promote industrialisation, and expand the scope of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry.
He praised Brentex Petroleum Services Limited for its bold investment, resilience, and commitment to developing indigenous capacity, noting that the company’s steady progress on the facility reflected the growing confidence of Nigerian firms in delivering world-class oil and gas infrastructure and engineering solutions.
The Executive Secretary, represented by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (MED), Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq, noted that the emergence of the Brentex Steel Pipe Induction Bending and Coating Facility represents “a direct and tangible response to the quest for in-country capacity in specialised pipeline engineering services,” adding that the project would advance “our collective goal of retaining value, creating jobs, and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading energy services hub in Africa.”
In a recollection of the beginnings of the company and the project, he disclosed, “We’ve been on this journey with Brentex for over a decade. Today, we’ve seen what you are doing on ground. And that’s actually the whole idea about the equipment component manufacturing initiative of the NCDMB – in-country value addition – and you have been steadfast.”
The NCDMB boss urged the Management of Brentex to sustain the momentum on the project and maintain the highest standards of quality, safety, and operational excellence, noting that the facility has the potential to become a flagship Nigerian Content asset and a reference point for specialised pipeline engineering services across Africa.
“I’d like to express the Board’s deep appreciation for your investment in our country, and to assure you that you have our support,” he declared, adding, “Whatever we can also do to get the industry to patronise this investment, we’ll do that, because it’s very important that the industry take advantage of what we have in-country.”
In his opening remarks, the Managing Director of Brentex Petroleum Services Limited, Mr. Chidi Nzerem thanked the Executive Secretary and the NCDMB delegation for the visit, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the project and its contribution to the growth of in-country capacity.
He also acknowledged the Board’s support and partnership over the past 10 years, noting that the sustained interventions had been instrumental to the facility’s progress, adding that it was conceived to advance the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010.
Nzerem expressed high hopes that the Board’s support would be sustained, hinting that the facility is scheduled to become fully operational in the last quarter of 2027.
Responding to an inquiry by the General Manager, Downstream, Project Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Ms. Tassalla Tersurgh, on the facility’s contribution to human capital development, the Managing Director said the company would engage NCDMB after facility certification to develop training programmes aligned with the Board’s mandate.
He disclosed that the facility is expected to engage about 200 engineers and other technical personnel, creating employment, technical training, skills transfer and capacity-building opportunities, with the long-term goal of the facility being 100 per cent handled and operated by trained Nigerians.

Speaking on the strategic importance of the facility, the Project Manager at Brentex, Engr. Patrick Anaje, stated that the facility, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, is expected to transform pipeline engineering services by providing the country’s first fully integrated in-country solution for steel pipe induction bending and coating. He disclosed that Brentex is currently engaged in the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Natural Gas Pipeline project, where the company’s new capabilities would be of immense value.
He noted that with an estimated 95 per cent of steel pipes currently imported, the facility will enable operators to source specialised pipe induction bending, coating and pipe repair services locally, significantly reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and overseas repairs, shortening project delivery timelines, lowering procurement-related delays and costs, and improving operational efficiency across the oil and gas industry. He added that the project will also deliver significant benefits to the national economy by retaining industry value within Nigeria.

The ceremony was attended by top management officials of NCDMB, executives of Brentex Petroleum Services Limited, industry stakeholders, project consultants, contractors, representatives of the host communities of Onne and Ogu, members of the Community Liaison Committee (CLC), and members of the media, who witnessed firsthand the significant progress recorded on the strategic Nigerian Content project.

By Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a lucky man. He is a lucky husband and a lucky father. The President may not be forgotten in a hurry, long after he has served out his tenure as the leader of Nigeria, the largest Black so-called democracy in the world. I say so because of two major figures who have added glamour to the tenure of Mr President: his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a former senator, and his son, Mr Seyi Tinubu, an accomplished lawyer and entrepreneur. Both personalities have used their proximity to the highest political office in the land to position themselves as philanthropists who are assisting their husband and father in alleviating poverty.

Whether Nigerians would acknowledge them as such, however, is debatable, given that some key policies of the current administration have contributed to the spread of multidimensional poverty on an unprecedented scale. The removal of the fuel subsidy led to a sharp increase in the pump price of petrol, which in turn worsened the cost-of-living crisis. Furthermore, the government’s decision to allow the national currency to float freely against major international currencies such as the US dollar, euro and pound sterling unleashed hyperinflation and has made the naira one of the weakest-performing currencies in the world. Consequently, the purchasing power of the naira has continued to decline.

This piece focuses on Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s activities in her capacity as the wife of the President of Nigeria, a position colloquially known as the First Lady. Therefore, it will not examine the activities of President Tinubu’s son, Barrister Seyi Tinubu.

Over the past three years, the wife of the President has made whistle-stop visits to different states of the federation in an effort to showcase her philanthropic initiatives. These numerous visits have seen her donate substantial sums of money and materials to various groups across the country.

During one of these visits, she attracted controversy when she recommended the small-scale business of frying akara as a sustainable economic activity capable of empowering Nigerian households. Many Nigerians disagreed with her, arguing that frying akara is not a sustainable pathway to long-term economic empowerment.

Amid the controversy generated by the First Lady’s suggestion, which was widely criticised by many social media commentators and vocal Nigerians, President Tinubu affectionately referred to his wife as “Mama Akara” while hosting journalists covering the State House at the inaugural Presidential Dinner with the media.

Incidentally, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu had earlier donated a brand-new bus to the State House Press Corps in Abuja. Perhaps this First Lady has made more donations than any of her predecessors, benefiting various groups, including military retirees, market women, women leaders of the All Progressives Congress, who each received brand-new luxury buses, and journalists covering the Presidency.

If the truth must be told, however, the akara business is not a viable large-scale solution to the severe economic hardship inflicted on millions of Nigerians by the flagship economic policies of President Tinubu, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy and the continued devaluation of the naira. This is because akara is not a business that can sustainably accommodate a large number of participants. If the majority of poor rural and urban women were to engage in frying and selling akara, there simply would not be enough consumers to support them all. Consequently, the capacity of the business to reduce the growing rate of poverty is limited.

A more sustainable approach would be for the wife of the President to work with state governments in establishing shopping outlets and structured markets for poor rural and urban women rather than giving them ₦50,000, which is barely enough to establish and sustain a business until it becomes profitable.

What would more effectively reduce poverty is for the Tinubu administration to reduce the cost of governance, trim the huge number of political appointees receiving salaries and allowances, and redirect those resources toward rebuilding the country’s deteriorating infrastructure in education, healthcare and road transportation. Government should also create an enabling environment in which millions of Nigerians can acquire practical skills that would enable them to become self-reliant in their chosen trades.

Government must also intervene to check the continuous increase in fuel prices. Since fuel pricing has largely been left to so-called market forces, marketers have effectively fixed prices at levels that have crippled millions of small businesses while worsening unemployment and poverty on a massive scale.

Even in advanced capitalist societies, governments intervene where necessary. The duty of every responsible government is to regulate the activities of private service providers to ensure that citizens are not deprived of the essential goods and services required for a decent standard of living.

The argument of this writer is that distributing ₦50,000 each to thousands of women to start akara businesses is, at best, too modest an intervention to become the central strategy for poverty eradication in Nigeria.

There is, however, another major intervention undertaken by the wife of the President during her visit to Abia State. She announced significant support aimed at reviving the centuries-old Akwete weaving industry in the state.

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, told members of the Akwete weaving community that she would wear traditional Akwete fabric if President Bola Tinubu is re-elected for a second term in office, describing the indigenous textile as comfortable, breathable and a symbol of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.

Mrs Tinubu made the pledge during her maiden visit to the Akwete Weaving Cooperative Village in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State, where she also announced a ₦2 billion donation to support the revitalisation and expansion of the centuries-old weaving industry.

Addressing members of the cooperative, the First Lady said she was impressed by the quality of the locally woven fabric and expressed her commitment to promoting it.

“If God brings my husband back for a second term, I’ll be wearing a buba and wrapper made from Akwete. I am going to be wearing that because it is very soft, breathable cotton,” she said.

Mrs Tinubu commended the women of the Akwete Weaving Cooperative for sustaining the age-old craft, noting that the tradition has continued to thrive because it has been handed down from one generation to another. She said it was encouraging to see younger people learning the skill from their families, stressing the importance of preserving Nigeria’s indigenous crafts and cultural identity.

“I saw young people in their families doing the same thing. So, it is a craft that is transferred from one generation to another,” she added.

The First Lady urged Nigerians to embrace Akwete fabric and other locally produced textiles, saying that increased patronage would help preserve indigenous craftsmanship, create jobs and improve the livelihoods of local artisans.

She also reaffirmed her support for initiatives aimed at empowering women and promoting local industries, noting that the ₦2 billion intervention would contribute to strengthening the Akwete weaving industry and expanding economic opportunities for those engaged in the craft.

Ordinarily, this writer would commend any act of generosity that is genuinely intended to support struggling families, help them sustain their businesses and industries, and enable them to provide for their households.

However, there are questions that agitate my mind. How will this donation be structured, and what arrangements have been put in place to ensure that the money reaches the intended beneficiaries? What roles will government institutions such as the Bank of Industry, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Abia State Ministry of Trade and Industry play in ensuring accountability and sustainability? There is also the question of transparency. Where did the ₦2 billion come from? Is it an outright grant to the women, or will it be administered as credit facilities to members of the cooperative society that was announced as the beneficiary of the substantial financial intervention?

These are legitimate questions regarding the administration of the funds to the intended beneficiaries. They are important because accountability and transparency are fundamental pillars of democracy, which President Tinubu says his administration is committed to upholding.

Nevertheless, the wife of the President deserves to be remembered positively for her efforts to revitalise the Akwete weaving industry. She should encourage her husband to direct the relevant federal agencies, together with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, to visit the Akwete weaving community in Abia State and other communities where indigenous textile weaving is practised. Their task should be to develop seamless, institutionalised mechanisms through which lending institutions can continually provide affordable credit facilities to these artisans.

Likewise, the Abia State Government and other state governments where similar small-scale but economically significant textile-weaving enterprises exist should establish effective monitoring systems to ensure that loans granted to beneficiaries are repaid, thereby allowing others to benefit. Such an arrangement should become a sustainable revolving credit programme jointly supported by the Federal and state governments.

Besides, the wife of the President does not have to wait until her husband wins a second and final presidential term before wearing Akwete fabric. Is her decision to delay wearing it until then a political campaign strategy?

If Senator Oluremi Tinubu truly believes that Akwete is a high-quality textile, as this writer also believes it is, then the logical step would be for her to commission Akwete outfits from the weavers in Abia State and begin wearing them during her official engagements across Nigeria now. Her generous support for the Akwete Weaving Cooperative should not be perceived as part of a political campaign strategy.

The wife of President Tinubu can always return to the Akwete weaving community to campaign for her husband whenever the Independent National Electoral Commission officially declares the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election. At that stage, she may enlist the beneficiaries of the intervention to assist in mobilising support among other voters.

Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko is the Founder of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and a former National Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria.

By Our Correspondent

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeri‌a, S‍enat‌or Olurem‌i Ti‌nubu⁠,has visited Abia State, joined the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex O‍tti, and his Wife, Mrs Priscilla Otti on a tour to th‍e Akwete Weaving Cooperative Society in Akwete, Ukwa E⁠ast LGA of the State and donated N2 Billion to support the empowerment of women in Akwete cloth production hub.

First Lady inspect Akwete weavering industry

Speaking at a reception held in her honour at Township School Akwete, on Tuesday,Senator Oluremi Tinubu described the Akwete cloth as a craft transferred from generation to generation and called on all Nigerians to take Akwete to the nation.

“I am here to announce to all Nigerians, the Igbos should take Akwete to the nation. I tell them, if you all wear and tie Ashoki. Why not wear Akwete? It’s a beautiful fabric. And those are the things that they have to modernise.

“But for me, and for all the notable sons of Igbo land, it’s not only Abia State, but all the other Igbo lands, rise up to the occasion to preserve this.

“On my own, I told the Governor, I’m donating two billion Naira to the project. I don’t know how you want to use it.

The First Lady, who described Governor Otti as a good man, said the event was supposed to be a low key visit but was surprised that the Governor made it a very resounding visit, and thanked the Governor .

“Otti is a good man. He’s a very good man. And I see that. And I want to thank you so much, Your Excellency. And I remember when I was calling you looking for your wife too, concerning Akwete, but I thank God we are here.

“This was supposed to be just a short visit to see these women. And it turned out to be the entire state came to welcome me. I am humbled.

“And I thank you. And thank you, Your Excellency. And I see why you wanted me to just come, you kept calling and you wanted to give the best.

She narrated how she picked interest in Akwete, saying that it was divinely orchestrated, and assured of wearing Akwete in the second term of her husband.

“While I was watching a documentary, I ran into it on NTA. And I saw this woman. When I hear Akwete, I normally think its from Ghana.

“Since last year, I’ve been bothering her (Mrs. Otti). I want to go to Akwete. I want to say I love traditional outfit. I love it because our tradition and culture tell us who we are. The moment we lose that, we won’t remember where we come from.

“And I will tell you, I told Her Excellency, I said, if God brings my husband in, a second time, I’ll be wearing a buba and wrapper made from Akwete,” Mrs. Tinubu stated.

Also speaking, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti thanked the First Lady for her decision to visit and assist the Akwete women, noting that , it was the First Lady herself that watched a documentary on the Akwete women and decided to visit and empower the women and noted that the visit meant a lot for him.

“I want to thank you. This visit means a whole lot to us. For us, we have been engaging with Akwete as far back as 2023, after I was sworn in. We believe, just like you do, that there is a lot that Akwete can do. The first thing that we needed to do was to break barriers of tradition.

“So, it is very, very strategic that you made this visit at this time. I want to also underscore what we represent in Abia here. Once you live in Abia, you are from Abia. We have a large community of Hausa and Yoruba community in Abia. And they are fully integrated into what we are doing,” Gov. Otti stated.

Governor Otti, who said that good governance transcends party affiliation, noted that the people know when one is giving good governance, and lauded Mr. President for being courageous enough to remove petroleum subsidy.

“I want to thank you. I want to also plead with you to take our felicitations to His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want you to please thank him.

“Thank him for his courage. Thank him for his sacrifices. Some people may not understand. It takes a man with courage to do what he did in 2023. Remove petroleum subsidy. And follow suit with the floating of the Naira.

“What has that done? That has freed up a lot of funds that would have been used in financing consumption. To doing other things in the federal government, in the states, and in the local governments. And today, a lot of states are now paying salaries,” Gov. Otti stated.

He said that his government is ready to work cooperatively with the First Lady to
build a production hub, for Akwete women.

Earlier in her welcome address, the wife of the Abia State Governor, lady Priscilla Otti, said Akwete Cloth is one of the oldest and most distinguished textiles tradition of the Igbo Nation, woven by hands by the women of Akwete in Abia State, a tradition that credits the visionary weaver, Daada Nwankata with elevating the craft in the 19th century.

Lady Otti, who said that the day marks the first time a First Lady of Nigeria has come in person to stand with and support the women of Abia, thanked the First Lady for being a true mother to the nation, and for remaining intentional about improving the economic well-being of Nigerian women, adding that Abia women are direct beneficiaries of her generosity.

“This is truly a historic moment and its significance cannot be overstated. It speaks unmistakably to your genuine commitment to creating practical impacts in the everyday lives of ordinary Nigerian women.

“Under your leadership, the social investment programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative continue to deliver real and practical change through grants and business support for female, micro, small and medium enterprises.

“We could not have asked for a better mother. May the Almighty God continue to strengthen you,” Mrs. Otti stated.

In their goodwill messages, the Senator representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abairibe, member representing Ukwa East and West federal Constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwota and former Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr. Sampson Ogah thanked the First Lady for coming to identify with the Akwete women and appreciated the wife of the Governor for discovering the Akwete women, while describing the event as remarkable, and assured the Governor of his second term in office.

Hon. Chris Nkwota in particular, while stressing the need to give Akwete cloth the needed visibility and creating befitting weaving centre for the women, said that Governor Otti has redefined governance in Abia State and announced openly that, though he is in APC, he would vote for him.

“This is a man that has come to redefine governance in Abia State. This man has come to redefine governance in Abia State. I’m a member of APC. But I’ll tell you something today, my vote is for Dr Governor Alex Otti,” Hon. Nkwota stated.

Also, the Labour Party House of Representatives candidate for Bende Federal Constituency, Dr. Chima Desmond Anyaso appreciated the fact that the economic importance of boosting the Akwete cloth production.

Dr. Anyaso commended the wife of the Abia State Governor and the First Lady of the Nation for their commitment to support the women, irrespective of political party differences.

The event, which featured the conferment of a chieftaincy title of “Ugo Nwanyi of Abia”, meaning the pride of woman,on the First Lady attracted many dignitaries from various political parties in the State.