Nigerian industrial manufacturer Arridex, formerly known as the RusselSmith Group, has opened the Omnifactory in Lagos, described as West Africa's first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the Governor of Lagos State alongside local and international dignitaries. The development marks a significant milestone for industrial manufacturing capacity in West Africa, with direct implications for energy, defence and maritime supply chains across the region.

As reported by 3DPrint.com, the Omnifactory will operate FDM, LPBF, cold spray and polymer LPBF capabilities alongside large-format 3D printing. The facility is designed to engineer spare parts, reverse engineer components, manufacture new components and support prototyping for clients in demanding industrial sectors.

Arridex is certified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and works with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria. The company was founded in the oil and gas sector in 2005 and now serves defence, maritime and aerospace industries, recording zero lost-time incidents across more than seven million man hours of operations.

Executive Governor of Lagos Babajide Sanwo-Olu 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."

Kayode Adeleke, CEO of Arridex, 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 Arridex Omnifactory 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."