By Hillary Asemota
For the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/MD, of the Solewant Group, Mr. Solomon Ewanehi, an acknowledged world class innovator and entrepreneur in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector, today, June 6 no doubt marked a significant milestone in the life of the company that he nurtured, bulletproofed to survive every economic vicissitude all through to its 22nd anniversary.
Ewanehi’s overarching role in the growth of the company, indexes an ironclad determination, resilience and trajectory in the provision of world class products and services to companies, government and local communities in the Niger Delta region.
There is therefore every justification as it has become obvious that the Solewant boss is one Nigeria that is imbued with an entrepreneurial audacity, born with ingenuity, a unique gift of spirit of excellence and service to humanity.
As the company takes stocks today, appraising and counting its exploits, there is no doubt that Ewanehi will look down memory lane and say, this is a vision and dream fulfilled.
The success narrative of the company would not have been possible without leadership sagacity of the CEO, who has through thick and thin, built a formidable winning team that has placed the company sky-high to this global status, surviving the odds, storms and the recent headwinds of the COVID-19 Pandemic which saw businesses and collapsing to zero level.
The recent award conferred on the company and its CEO in January this year speaks volume, which is among several others by a National Newspaper as the Oil and Gas Contractor of the year award, reinforces the seal of excellence recognizing it for delivering exceptional service to the country and Africa at large.
The award, EXTRAORDINAIRE news was told, is meant only for prime businesses that meet high international benchmarks based on quality leadership skills, contracts implementation, quality of projects execution, and contribution to local content development.
Solewant group, is reputed to have demonstrated outstanding contractor integrity, with a strong impact on the Nigerian economy, the outcome of which, when analyzed, revealed a strong nexus the organization’s formidable deliverable, and the growth manifested in the Nigerian energy sector.
Acknowledging the award, Ewanehi, while displaying a mien of ultra-excitement, said he is happy that the good works of the company has not gone unnoticed.
“We are honored to receive this award from this medium. Thank you to each and every one of our clients and partners for your continued support and loyalty.” He added.
“We are committed to customer satisfaction, safety, including visibility and transparency throughout operations, continuous improvements, enhanced risk management, heightened employee satisfaction, and a stronger monitoring of processes in line with industry demands.”
The award indexes Solewant as an acclaimed world class integrated oil and gas organization, specializing in the field of steel pipes, pipe coating solution, pipe/metals fabrication and pipeline construction solutions, to oil, gas and water Industries, as he explained in an encounter with the media: Our business is built-on expert knowledge, professionalism, outstanding customer service, timely delivery of projects at the highest level of quality and laudable safety and environmental management standards for all the clients that we serve.
The company, the CEO, said prides itself with trained and experienced personnel, cutting-edge technology-based facilities, excellent supply-chain partners and well-articulated procedures designed to improve the earliest project execution.
On how the company started in 2000, he admitted though that it was with little beginning, launching off from the field, providing field coating and specialty services to our clients at onshore, swamp and offshore locations, Ewanehi, said.
Few down the lane, with fast technology input, we had no choice than to upgraded our systems and facilities to provide factory applied anti-corrosion, concrete weight coating and world class laboratory services which was commissioned in November 2016, explaining that furthermore, we saw the need to provide a one stop shop for fabrication and construction services which saw us set up our fabrication facility at our pipe/metals industrial area.
With full sense of accomplishment while still hungry to conquer more, Ewanehi, revealed that the company has excelled in the provision of steel pipe, metals and specialty coating solutions for 22 years and is now entering the next phase of its extensive development through a series of investments and expansions.
He said: “We provide support to the oil, gas, water, chemical processing, mining, refining, transportation and marine industries. We have redefined our business model in the economically strong African country over this time, in the provision of steel pipes, fabrication, construction, protecting metals and concrete surfaces through our range of product solutions.
“By blocking environmental attacks where aggressive chemical solutions and gases are present, or where mechanical forces and high temperatures are a danger.
“Through our philosophy, we stay true – even more fruitfully after 22 years – to our overriding aims to enhance employment opportunities in the manufacturing of steel pipes and coating application solution, to encourage local knowledge transfer and technological skills, to increase participation in servicing oil, gas and water industries, to save time of project delivery as well as minimize cost of projects.”
This strategy, he acknowledged involves the acquisition and ownership of the following world-class facilities: Multilayer Pipe Coating Plant, Concrete Weight Pipe Coating plant, Solewant state of the art Laboratory and Fabrication Plant
According to him, that company is renowned for its diverse portfolio comprising of steel pipe milling, coating application solution, we separate our business arms to cater for each, and also integrates our group of companies, stressing: “We provide high performance, multi-functional, organic barrier coatings and linings which are suitable for medium to extreme service conditions that include; epoxies, polyurethanes, polyureas, polypropylene, pipeline wrapping tapes and sealants.
On commitment to quality, he said: As a matter of fact, the competitive advantages and differentiators that are achieved through such commitments to customer satisfaction and safety include visibility and transparency throughout operations, continuous improvements being driven throughout the organisation, enhanced risk management, heightened employee satisfaction, and a stronger monitoring of processes in line with industry demands; all of which have combined to attract some of the region and industry’s biggest names over the years.
Shell Nigeria, NGC, ExxonMobil Nigeria, Total, NAOC, EHGC, Westfield, Morpol Engineering, Ascot, DTO, Port Harcourt Refinery, Indorama Petrochemical Industry, are just a few of the major clients loyal to Solewant.
Ewanehi, strongly advocates that the participation of Nigerian companies in its local content should be viewed from the prism of competence and not patronage as seen in some quarters.
The company is seated on an industrial area of over 132,000 sqm which houses the company’s pipe coating plant, concrete weight coating plant, ultra-modern laboratory, fabrication facility, storage and preservation facilities.
Appraising Federal Government bold initiatives on Nigeria content Development especially in the oil and gas sector, he said: “For us in Solewant we see Nigeria content development as the path to Nigeria’s sustainability and road to its industrial emancipation, adding: This is about competence and not mere patronage. As a member of the Petroleum Association of Nigeria (PETAN), We are grateful to the Federal Government for the local content policies that have helped in the growth of our organisation and the industry at large.
According to him, the oil and gas industry’s need for steel line pipes is increasing rapidly and local content policies have strategically positioned organisations like ourselves to harness this opportunity
“Before now, IOCs or Foreign Engineering, Procurement and Construction Companies will opt to get these line pipes from the Euro-American or Asian markets, coat the pipes, and ship finished products into the country without any value added in Nigeria. Now, Nigerian content Development policy has helped investors of pipe and pipe coating industries in Nigeria. We wish to thank the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for their continued support, opportunity and platform they provided.”