By Ayodele Oni
The Ondo State Government (ODSG), has signed a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with PyVee Limited, a U.S.-linked chemical manufacturing company, to develop West Africa’s first and Africa’s second fully integrated titanium value-chain processing plant.
The agreement, facilitated through the Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), is expected to position Ondo State at the forefront of a new industrial and strategic minerals corridor linking Nigeria to the United States aerospace and defense supply chains.
Under the partnership, the State Government has allocated 100.079 hectares of land at Alape, along the Igbokoda–Ugbonla Road in Ilaje Local Government Area, a site strategically selected for its access to lagoon water, gas infrastructure for captive power generation, and proximity to the Deep-Sea Port and export logistics along the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Corridor.
Beyond the land allocation, the State Government will provide an enabling environment for the project through facilitating access to raw materials, supporting the acquisition of requisite licences, permits and regulatory approvals, providing critical infrastructure within the project area, and coordinating the resolution of host community-related matters to ensure the seamless implementation and long-term sustainability of the investment.
Structured through a joint-venture Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), PyVee Nigeria Titanium Limited, the project has an estimated total capital outlay of US$362 million across two developmental phases.
The first phase entails the construction of a commercial pilot plant, while the second phase will see the development of a full-scale titanium processing complex, with combined investment requirements exceeding US$350 million.
Together, the two phases are projected to generate more than N300 billion in annual gross economic value for Ondo State and over N480 billion nationally, while creating more than 150 direct jobs in Phase 1 and over 800 direct jobs in Phase 2, with thousands of additional indirect and induced employment opportunities across the wider value chain.
The proposed facility will process Nigeria’s abundant ilmenite ore locally, instead of exporting it in raw form, thus reducing dependence on imported titanium products.
The titanium-processing modular plant will be fabricated by a U.S. fabrication partner and shipped to Nigeria for installation and commissioning.
The plant will produce titanium dioxide pigment and titanium sponge, while providing a platform for the future production of additional strategic materials, including niobium-titanium alloys and selected rare earth products, through an integrated chemical-processing system.
Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Taiwo Fasoranti, speaking on behalf of the State, framed the partnership as a direct expression of Governor Aiyedatiwa’s industrialization agenda, noting that the administration’s task is to ensure the state’s mineral wealth translates into local jobs, technology transfer, and sustained revenue rather than raw exports.
“This is exactly the kind of partnership our administration has been working toward, one where Ondo State’s resources stay home long enough to create value, jobs, and lasting revenue for our people,” Dr. Fasoranti added.
He reaffirmef government commitment to seeing the project through from land allocation to commissioning, and positioning Ondo State as a serious destination for foreign direct investment in the mining and materials sector.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an abundant, naturally occurring inorganic mineral that is mined from the earth, processed and refined.
After processing, it exists as white, powdery solid. Titanium dioxide is used as a bright white pigment for paint, in the food industry as a coloring, in sunscreens and cosmetics, and for other industrial uses.
The pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries are estimated to occupy 10% of the market share of titanium dioxide use.
In the pharmaceutical industry, titanium dioxide is commonly used as pigment for pharmaceutical products such as gelatin capsules, tablet coatings and syrups. It is also used in sunscreens to block UVA and UVB rays, similar to zinc oxide.
Titanium dioxide has excellent ultraviolet (UV) resistant qualities and acts as a UV absorbent.
It is also used as a component of orthopedic implant biomaterials for hip and knee replacements and in dental products like implants.
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