Strides Group Seeks End to UK’s Rejection of Nigeria’s Oil Products

The Chief Operating Officer, New RIVOC Limited, a member of the Strides Group, Nkem JosephPalmer, has said the rejection of the country’s products, especially vegetable oil would soon be a thing of the past once the company commences operations.

This followed the rejection of a large consignment of vegetables and other edibles exported from Nigeria by the United Kingdom at the weekend.

In a telephone interview, Palmer said the New RIVOC is determined to raise the bar for the vegetable oil industry with the acquisition of relevant local and international certification from accreditation bodies that would ensure quality that meets international standards.

Strides Group, owners of Strides Energy and Maritime Limited (SEML), in a multi-billion naira deal signed in Lagos, by UBA Capital Trustees, on behalf of a consortium of four banks consisting Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa, Zenith Bank, and Diamond Bank acquired the mortgaged assets of the Rivers Vegetable Oil Company Limited (RIVOC).

According to him, the company billed to commence operation soon would ensure the application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) measures to determine critical control points and assure value is equivalent to best quality.

“It is an individual and strategic choice to obtain the relevant phytosanitary certificates for export. The Strides Group will achieve this with the relevant local and international certifications.

“We are determined to ensure that quality systems focused on export in the mid to long term exist in Nigeria, so the UK rejection of Nigerian vegetable oil may soon be a thing of the past.

“For us at the Strides Group, we will focus on assuring that our private standards meet international sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and will raise the bar for the industry,” Joseph-Palmer added.

Joseph-Palmer revealed that the lack of an ebullient quality

management infrastructure is a current problem faced in Nigeria, which if resolved would bring the desired growth to the sector.

“We are currently poised to see that our vegetable oil plant meets ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 standards within the first six months of operations. Currently, we are applying HACCP measures to determine critical control points and assure value is equivalent to best quality.

“Looking down the value chain, we are constantly sifting our suppliers to assure quality, from farm to fork. Quality speaks for itself, and the international community understands the language,” he assured.