Ghana has become the first operational node in Africa’s Distributed Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) Network following the appointment of Sodah Engineering and Logistics Limited (SELL) as the exclusive Ghanaian partner and operator of the initiative by technology firm Arridex Limited.
The agreement positions Ghana at the forefront of a continental effort aimed at enabling African industries to manufacture critical replacement components on demand, reducing dependence on lengthy overseas supply chains.
The ADAM Network is anchored by Arridex’s Omnifactory facility in Lagos, Nigeria, described as West Africa’s first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility.
Through the network, companies across sectors including mining, oil and gas, power, manufacturing, maritime, defence and the public sector will be able to source industrial parts produced through advanced additive manufacturing technologies, commonly known as industrial 3D printing.
According to the companies, the model is designed to address one of the biggest operational challenges facing African industries: delays in obtaining critical replacement parts.
Industrial operators often contend with lead times spanning several months when sourcing specialised components from original equipment manufacturers abroad. The challenge is compounded when equipment manufacturers discontinue support for older machinery, making replacement parts difficult or impossible to obtain.
Under the new arrangement, obsolete or unavailable components can be digitally scanned, reverse engineered and manufactured locally to specification.
The system also enables companies to digitise spare parts inventories and produce components only when required, reducing capital tied up in stockholding.
SELL Managing Director Dr. Tesa D. Ayernor said the initiative presents an opportunity for Ghana not only to improve supply chain efficiency but also to develop advanced manufacturing capabilities.
“When a critical part fails in Ghana today, industry can wait months for a replacement to arrive from another continent, and that wait is one of the largest undiscussed costs in our economy,” he said.
“What we are announcing is not simply a faster supply chain. As the first node of the ADAM Network, Ghana has the opportunity to model what is possible for every node that follows on the continent, and to build genuine manufacturing capability.”
Beyond parts production, the initiative includes plans to collaborate with Ghanaian universities, research institutions and training organisations to build local expertise in areas such as digital design, component scanning, materials selection and advanced manufacturing engineering.
Dr. Ayernor said the long-term objective is to ensure that critical technical competencies remain within the country.
“An additive manufacturing capability is not a machine you buy. It is a skill set a country either has or does not have. If all we do is sell parts, we will have built a business. If we also build the skills, we will have built an industry,” he said.
Arridex Group Chief Executive Officer Kayode Adeleke said the company’s expansion into Ghana forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen industrial resilience across the continent.
“Across Africa, industry does not stop for want of ambition or for want of talent; many times, it stops for want of a critical part in a piece of legacy equipment,” he said.
“By expanding our footprint into Ghana, we are establishing the core building blocks of a seamlessly connected, tech-driven manufacturing network that empowers local industries to produce high-value components on demand and build operational resilience.”
The ADAM Network is expected to operate through locally owned national partners linked to shared manufacturing infrastructure and a common digital platform. Ghana is the first operational node, with Arridex targeting 25 nodes across 15 African countries over the next five years.
The initiative also aligns with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose secretariat is headquartered in Accra. The companies argue that the network could help deepen intra-African trade by facilitating the movement of manufactured components, engineering services and digital industrial assets between African markets.
Dr. Ayernor said the project demonstrates how industrial capability can give practical effect to the continent’s trade integration agenda.
“AfCFTA has been discussed for years largely in terms of tariff schedules and protocols, and that work is essential. But a free trade area needs something to trade,” he said.
“What we are building is the industrial substance behind the framework: African-made components, moving between African countries, made by African companies.”
Work on the Ghana node is expected to commence immediately, with an initial focus on industry engagement, pilot projects with industrial operators, digitisation of legacy spare-parts inventories, technical training and the development of institutional partnerships.
Source: businesspostonline
