The newly commissioned state-of-the-art Plant of Cadbury Nigeria plc will boost the company’s production capacity by nearly 37percent to meet surging demand for Nigeria’s favorite food-drink, Bournvita, says Daniel Myers, executive Vice President, ISC Global, Mondelēz International.
Cadbury Nigeria plc is a 74.99percent-owned subsidiary of Mondelēz International, a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivalled portfolio of brands. The remaining 25.01percent of shares are held by a diverse group of indigenous, individual and institutional investors.
“As a mark of Mondelēz International’s confidence in the Nigerian economy, we embarked on the construction of a new ultra-modern plant within our site here in Lagos, which resulted in Direct Foreign Investment of over N10 billion (about $50 million),” Myers said at the official commissioning ceremony of the new ultra-modern manufacturing plant in Ikeja-Lagos.
“I can tell you how excited I am and how excited we are as Mondelēz International about this project. As the world’s leading chocolate, biscuits, powdered beverages, gum and candy maker – a global snacking powerhouse – we are committed to making high-quality products that bring delicious moments of joy to millions of people, all within a balanced diet and an active lifestyle.
“Through our legacy companies, we have been in Nigeria since the 1950s – when the business was founded to source cocoa beans from Nigeria and enable us to serve the local consumer market with world-famous, Cadbury-branded products,” Myers stated.
He said: “This is a major new phase in our manufacturing capability in Nigeria, and this state-of-the-art plant is one of the largest investments by Mondelēz International in Africa in the last two years, along with similar investments in Egypt and South Africa. In fact, we see all of Africa as a growth region. This new best-in-class plant is highly automated, and replaces an older facility which could not support our necessary expansion plans within the old plant’s footprint”.
“We are continuing to invest at this site because we want to keep pace with the latest technology in our business space, and we want to demonstrate our leadership position in our sub-sector of the Nigerian economy. Today, the Ikeja plant is the latest example of our broader investment efforts across Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe”, Myers revealed.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Roy Naaman, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Cadbury Nigeria plc said that it is the support from the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Lagos State Government and the availability of a talented workforce that led to its decision to build this state-of-the-art plant.
Naaman said that “it represents another milestone in Cadbury Nigeria plc pursuit of its global effort to build a world-class supply chain”.
“This new plant will also help bring to life our global strategy to protect the well-being of our planet through the design and operation of new growth facilities that minimize our environmental footprint. Our investment in this plant reflects the company’s confidence in the fundamentals of the Nigerian economy and commitment to the development of Lagos State as our host community” Cadbury Nigeria plc CEO further stated.
This year marks 50 years of Cadbury being in Nigeria and the company remains committed to making high-quality products that bring delicious moments of joy to millions of people, all within a balanced diet and an active lifestyle.
“I must reiterate that we have enjoyed a cordial relationship with the government and people of Lagos State over the years and are grateful for the warm reception accorded us in the state. On our part, we shall remain a responsible corporate citizen of the state and continue to partner with the government through employment generation, participation in various developmental initiatives, contribution to the state treasury in different forms and stimulation of socio-economic activities in the state,” Naaman added.
Iheanyi Nwachukwu
