Dufil Prima Foods builds vegetable oil processing refineries in Abia

Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie No o d l e s have perf o rmed the foundation laying of two palm oil refineries in Amokwe and Okai communities in Item, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. This backward integration effort is aimed at reduction cost of production, boost the economy and source for raw materials locally.

The palm oil processing refineries in Amokwe and Okai, two communities of Item in Bende LGA of Abia State, occupy a large expanse of palm plantations, including virgin land where new breed palm seedling ( Tenerra) would be planted by Dufil Prima Foods.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the two oil refining plants took place at two separate locations of Okai and Amokwe communities of Item town. When completed, they would be producing vegetable oil that would be particularly used by Dfil Foods.

Nnenna Ejekam, the legal adviser of Duf i l Prima Foods, noted that the palm oil processing refineries were being established not only to create employment in the rural areas, but to comply with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN that all foods related companies should set up plants locally to produce their raw material needs.

This is aimed at boosting the local economy and stop the importation of raw materials from Malaysia. Recall that Malaysia took some oil palm seedlings from Nigeria in the early 1960s, to develop them into cash crops. At that time, oil palm was the mainstay of the economy Eastern Region of Nigeria under late Michael Opkara, the then premier of the region.

But today, the Asian country ranks among the world’s biggest producers of oil palm.

According to Ejekam, the coming of the oil palm refineries would change the economic narrative of Item people, as their palms would now become a big revenue earner for the town.

“With the establishment of palm oil refineries in Item by Dufil Prima Foods Plc, poverty and criminality will be eliminated, as most youths will be gainfully employed; thereby creating wealth for the people,” the legal adviser said. She explained that the project has gone through three stages of: acquiring virgin land, the mill and the communities leasing out their oil palm trees to Dufil Prima Foods.

The company would start- off with harvesting leased old oil palm trees to service the oil refineries, while awaiting fruiting from new trees that would be planted on the virgin land. The local people would ensure adequate security for the mills and workers.

Kingsley Ogba Nwokoro, the president general of Item Development Association spoke at Amokwe Item during the sword turning ceremony for the two factory sites, saying that Item people were pleased with the company for siting the projects in their place.

He assured the foods company officials of his people’s support and ensure that they and their materials would be secured to succeed.

“Your coming into Item will register us as one of the big communities that have gone into modern day production of refined vegetable oil,” he said.

“With the coming of Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of renowned Indomie Noodles and Power Oil, we (Item) will be known as one of the leading communities in the country where vegetable oil is produced in commercial quantity.”

Historically, he said the palm industry has been the sourc e of wealth and progress of Item. The people have developed skills in managing and promoting the resource and invested a great deal in it before the advent of petroleum. He said oil palm business dates back to 1950s, when Item people who dealt in palm oil organized themselves into a cooperative society called ‘ Item Merchants.’ They were noted for the wealth and success the produce can give.

He said Item people were also known to have produced renowned merchants in produce business such as late Ugoji Eke, Egesi Akwari, among others; while the foremost produce inspector of the Eastern Region, Herbert Ukaegbu Osoka was from here.

Nwo k o r o l au d e d Nnenna Ejekam, the initiator of the project, from Item, who is legal adviser to Dufil Prima Foods, for using her years relationship with the company to convince it to invest in her homeland.

Three directors of Dufil Prima Food Plc, Madhukar Khetan, chief operating officer, Adhi Narto, executive director production and Lim Saradosa, were present at the occasion.