Alaba Lawson, president of Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has commended the Nigerian Breweries Plc, one the major brewing companies in the country, for expansion in the South East region, saying it has created jobs in the area, and created wealth in Nigeria.
Nigerian Breweries Plc, early in 2015 merged with the Consolidated Breweries Limited, Awo Omamma, Imo State, and pumping some N3 billion to upgrade the facilities of the brewing plant.
The upgrading work of the Awo-Omamma brewery plant took the plant from a one-unit production line facility, to multiple line facility, where the company now produces seven different products.
Earlier in 2014, the foremost brewing firm in Nigeria invested N18 billion in expansion of the Aba plant of NB Plc group, making it a strategic company in the region, and one of the big brewing plants around the country.
The NACCIMA president said the continuous expansion of operations by NP Plc has been generating employment and creating wealth in the country.
Lawson (MFR), who made the commendation in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State during NACCIMA’s tour of facilities at the Aba brewery of NB Plc, observed that Nigerian Breweries has demonstrated its unwavering confidence in the country’s development, by injecting enormous resources leading to the expansion of its Aba brewery, thus doubling the production capacity.
She appreciated the good rapport that exists between the firm and Chamber movement in the country, and especially the Aba city Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), and urged management of the firm to sustain the relationship.
“We thank you so much for sticking with the chamber movement, the good relationship that exists between you and the Aba city chamber has shown that although a big multinational company, you are still part of the chamber movement,” she said.
“That is the way it should be. All over the world, the chamber of commerce is well routed into all companies, and all big projects of Government. We thank you for maintaining a good relationship with the Aba city chamber. That is the only way that we can get feedbacks on what is going on in this area,” she added.
While commending the management team and board of the company for remaining focused and visionary, Lawson conferred NACCIMA ambassadorship on the leadership of the brewing company during the visit.
Uzodinma Odenigbo, regional public affairs manager, South, NB Plc, thanked NACCIMA delegation for finding time to visit the firm; and appreciated the kind words of the chamber president, and commended her stewardship towards the chamber’s core objective of supporting domestic investment in Nigeria.
Odenigbo explained that the Aba brewery has become more strategic, in terms of capacity and location, following the expansion project the firm undertook in 2014. He appreciated the chamber of commerce for finding it useful to visit the firm, and expressed the company’s commitment to sustaining its visibility in the chamber of commerce.
He congratulated Andy Obasi, the newly sworn in president of Aba Chamber of Commerce, and pledged the firm’s support to the chamber.
BEN EGUZOZIE and GODFREY OFURUM
