Part of the brewery infrastructure commissioned at the well-attended ceremony included a new PET line, a Water Treatment Plant and a Waste Water Treatment Plant, among twenty one others.
While welcoming guests who included the governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Kola Jamodu, Chairman, Nigerian Breweries Plc, explained that the multi-billion Naira PET line which currently boasts the best technology in the HEINEKEN world was installed to deepen availability of the non-alcoholic product portfolio of the company.
He added that the modern Water Treatment Plant was constructed to ensure the continued excellent quality of the company’s brands while the Waste Water Treatment Plant further contributes to the success of its sustainability agenda of “Brewing a Better World”.
According to the chairman, “These investments, totaling over N11b stand out as a testimony to our corporate philosophy of Winning with Nigeria and they reflect our company’s bold confidence in Ogun State and Nigeria as an investment destination.” Chief Kola Jamodu also emphasized that the projects signpost the contribution of the company to the economic development of Ogun State which also play to another of its brewery in Ijebu Ode and many of the ancillary industries that the company supports..
Oh his part, the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun congratulated the company on the successful upgrade of the brewery which he described as an enviable step capable of facilitating a self-dependent economy. Governor Amosun commended Nigerian Breweries for its backward integration and local sourcing of over 50% of its raw materials and 95% of its packaging material.
According to the governor, “It will be in our collective interest for companies in Ogun state and even the entire country to source their materials locally. Backward integration and import substitution is the master key to a self-sustaining economy”. He promised that the state will continue to provide necessary conditions for business to operate smoothly in the state.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, represented by Chief Abraham Idowu Akanle congratulated Nigerian Breweries on the upgrade of the brewery. He described the private sector as the engine room of economic growth and called on other corporate organisations to follow the fruitful example of the company.
Nigerian Breweries Plc acquired Ota brewery in 2011 and since that time, the company has invested significantly to upgrade the facilities at the brewery to the world class standards befitting a brewery in the HEINEKEN group.
READ: ADDRESS BY CHIEF KOLA JAMODU, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, NIGERIAN BREWERIES Plc AT THE COMMISSIONING OF THE UPGRADED OTA BREWERY ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2017
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, CON, FCA
His Excellency, Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
Members of the Ogun State Executive Council
Our partners here present
Gentlemen of the press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the official commissioning of our upgraded brewery here in Ota, Ogun State – the Gateway State. Today marks a great day in our company as this is the first major external event since the quiet celebration of our 70th Anniversary on November 16, 2016.
The three upgraded facilities which will be commissioned shortly and the rest of our investments here in Ota Brewery constitute another indication of our confidence in the fundamentals of the Nigerian economy despite the current challenges and signposts our contribution to the socio-economic development of Ogun State in particular.
Your Excellencies, as you may already know, our company was incorporated in 1946 as Nigeria’s first brewing company. In 1949, the first bottle of Star beer rolled out from our first brewery in Iganmu, Lagos. Since then, Nigerian Breweries has grown to become the second most capitalized company quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange with 10 operating breweries strategically spread around the country producing 19 brands and 48 stock keeping units which serve diverse consumer needs. Out of our 10 breweries, 2 are located here in the Gateway state: one in Ijebu Ode and the other being this brewery in Ota.
Ota Brewery joined the Nigerian Breweries’ family of in 2011. Since then, we have invested significantly to upgrade the facilities at this brewery to the world class standards befitting a brewery in the Heineken group. The upgrades, which have all been aimed at improving the brewery infrastructure and its productivity, stand out as a testimony to our corporate philosophy of Winning with Nigeria.
These investments totaling over N11b also reflect our bold confidence in Ogun State and Nigeria as an investment destination, despite the present economic challenges. It is a testament to the commitment of our people that the Ota Brewery was rated as the Most Improved Brewery in Africa Middle East Region by Heineken in 2014.
The tremendous transformation the brewery has witnessed stands as another milestone in our company’s socio-economic development journey with Ogun State and Nigeria. Among the investments we have made in Ota are the three facilities which will be commissioned today by His Excellency, the three facilities to be commissioned today are the multi-billion naira PET line which is the best in the Heineken world today utilized to deepen availability of our non-alcoholic product portfolio, a modern water treatment plant to ensure the continued excellent quality of our brands and a state of the art, waste water treatment plant (WWTP) which further contributes to the success of our sustainability agenda of Brewing a Better World.
Your Excellencies, our relationship with Ogun State predates and exceeds our footprint in the Ota and Ijebu Ode breweries. As part of our commitment to Winning with Nigeria, we have made a public commitment to ensuring sustainable local sourcing of input materials to our operations. Currently, our product packaging is 95% locally sourced and a lot of the ancillary companies who we have utilized to attain this highpoint in our value chain are based in Ogun State. From bottle makers, can manufacturers, crown cork producers, shrink wrap providers, preform makers for our PET lines, labels, crate-makers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, hoteliers, etc., we have so many companies in our value chain based in the state with multi-billion naira revenues who are also creating employment and paying taxes to the government. I want to congratulate His Excellency, Governor Amosun, for increasingly positioning the state as an investment haven. When next you need a testimony of Ogun State’s conduciveness, feel free to call on Nigerian Breweries and we shall be glad to oblige.
While Ogun State has been a good host to our operations, I am happy to inform you that the state has also been a consistent recipient of our social investments and our commitment to Growing with Communities. These include the donation of a block of 6 classrooms, a library, toilet facilities and principal’s office to the Gateway Junior Secondary School, Ita Iyalode Abeokuta and the donation of a block of 6 classrooms, a sick bay and toilets facilities to the Baptist Primary school, Ereko, Ijebu-Ode.
Others include the renovation of the science laboratory of the Imagbon/Imaka community school, Imagbon; donations of books to the libraries of Imagbon/Imaka Community School; donation of a block of 6 classrooms and library to African Church Grammar School, Ita-Eko Abeokuta; and the provision of electricity transformer to Isaka community.
Your Excellencies, we have invited you here today not only to see the transformation of this brewery but also to bear witness as we renew our faith with the good people of Ogun State in our journey of Winning with Nigeria.
Let me at this moment say a big thank you to His Excellency, Governor Ibikunle Amosun for providing the enabling environment required for business to thrive in Ogun State and accepting to commission this brewery upgrade. We are also grateful to our special guest of honour, His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria who has been a long standing friend to local manufacturers including Nigerian Breweries Plc, for creating time out of his very busy schedule to be part of this epoch making event.
We thank the people of Ota and Ogun State for being good hosts and neighbours to Nigerian Breweries over the years. We believe that this new investments will optimize productivity in this brewery and the ancillary industries supported by the business. We believe also that our presence will continue to impact the economy of this region in diverse ways by creating employment, increasing revenue generation to different tiers of Government and contribute to improved standard of living in the region.
We want to use this opportunity to reassure His Excellency and the good people of Ogun State that our company which has been part of your growth over the years and would always stand with you as a good corporate citizen and partner for development and partner to the people of Ota and Ogun State.
Once again, Your Excellency, the Governor of Ogun State, Your Excellency, the former President, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for coming and I thank you for listening.
Chief Kola Jamodu, CFR, FCA
March 8, 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment