A Nigerian-based food processing company, Tingo Group, has disclosed that its food processing factory currently under construction in Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State will provide over 12,000 direct jobs when completed.
The company informed us that the ripple effect of the investment will create indirect jobs and triple the number of direct jobs for many youths and women, particularly in Delta State, who will be positively engaged.
Speaking to journalists, the founder of Tingo Group, Dozy Mmobuosi, said, “The factory will offer 12,000 direct jobs here when the project is completed.”.
The proposed food factory is sitting on 40 hectares of land with a rice mill, a proposed Cereal factory, cashew processing factory, Beer and bottling warehouse, chocolate and biscuits factory, tea and coffee factory, a clinic, and a guest house.
Mmobuosi also stated that the Tingo Group has begun the construction of a warehouse that would accommodate about 300, 000 metric tonnes of grains for food security in the country.
The founder explained that the idea is to create a preservation hub for the country’s perishable food items.
“Today is about food security; what we are doing here is to create a safe place where farmers can confidently store their harvest,” Mmobuosi explained.
He highlighted that the initiative would discourage the trend where few individuals hoard food, causing a steady rise in the commodity pricing regime.
Also at the event, the President of the All Farmer Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr. Farouk Mudi, commended the initiative, stating that it will go a long way in addressing high food prices.
He said that when completed, the storage facility would give farmers the opportunity to sell their products at a good price.
“Most farmers sell their products early because there is no proper preservation place for storage; again, there is no ready market where these products can easily be sold, but this initiative seeks to address these challenges,” Dr Mudi said.
According to him, the association has also provided storage facilities for the preservation of food in 11 states of the Federation, including Benue, Kogi, and Niger States, with the aim of reaching all the states in Nigeria.
It is expected that with proper storage facilities available in the country, farmers will reduce the sales of food products, especially perishable food, under pressure, thereby eradicating the menace of a few individuals hoarding the commodity for personal gains while the rest of the country suffers.