Craig McMaster, Channel Sales Manager for Rockwell Automation Africa.

Industrial automation and digital transformation firm Rockwell Automation has appointed PowerPro as its authorised distributor in Nigeria.

Rockwell Automation has been supplying its well-known Allen Bradley brand of products to the Nigerian market for more than a quarter of a century and already has a large installed base in the country, reports Craig McMaster, Channel Sales Manager for Rockwell Automation Africa.

The partnership is expected to grow this base.

According to Rockwell Automation PowerPro has a stellar record in terms of on-time delivery and end-user support by leveraging local inventory, technical and human capabilities.

“Given PowerPro’s existing end-user relationships in diverse sectors, we are expecting aggressive expansion of the already significant Rockwell Automation footprint in Nigeria,” says McMaster.

The companies adds that Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy with an estimated population of 200 million people, offers significant growth potential in a number of sectors, including food and beverage, chemical, oil and gas, cement, household and personal care, marine, power generation, and the fast-growing mining sector.

They says that whilst the Nigerian economy suffered as a result of COVID-19, the African Development Bank (AfDB) expects it to grow by 1.5% in 2021 and 2.9% in 2022, based on an expected recovery in crude oil prices and production.

It showed strong growth in the second quarter of 2021, growing 5% year-on-year, driven primarily by the trade, information and communication, transportation, electricity, agriculture and manufacturing sector.

While the private sector Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to an 18-month high in July, suggesting that business activity firmed at the outset of quarter three.

Adebayo Johnson, General Manager for PowerPro.

Adebayo Johnson, General Manager for PowerPro, says, “Many production companies struggle to keep pace with the demands of the Nigerian market as a result of the unplanned shutdowns due to the unavailability of parts and production inefficiencies. Our partnership with Rockwell Automation is a strategic decision geared towards meeting the smart manufacturing needs of the Nigerian market by providing Rockwell Automation hardware, software and lifecycle services required for digital transformation.”

PowerPro already holds inventory of commonly requested Rockwell Automation hardware in Nigeria, including the range of Allen-Bradley industrial control and automation equipment. Going forward the two companies expect to see a growing demand for industrial control equipment, either as products to be built into MCC’s or in the form of low-voltage motor control centres.

McMaster says customers can get access to local and current product inventory, including spares and replacements, and receive technical assistance from local distributor product specialists who have benefited from factory training.

Post-sale support, including a manufacturer’s warranty, he adds, are other important benefits provided by the local Rockwell Automation authorised distributor. “Rockwell Automation’s warranties are limited to products that have been purchased directly from Rockwell Automation or one of our authorised distributors.”

Meanwhile, McMaster reveals: “We’re also expecting to see a bigger need for solutions in manufacturing execution systems and information software, an area where Rockwell Automation is strongly focused.”

Plans are in place for PowerPro to commission the first Rockwell Automation Customer Experience Centre to serve as a connection point for Rockwell Automation product users in Nigeria.