BIC, a manufacturer of stationery, lighters, and shavers, has demonstrated its commitment to the growth of the Nigerian economy, employment and gender inclusion with the employment of over 500 Nigerians out of which 85 percent are females.
“We are proud of our diversity programmes and we are meeting BIC writing the future together which is a Sustainable Development Goal, SDG programme that talks about diversity, equality and inclusion”, Peter Ajakaiye, the Plant Director told newsmen during a facility visit to the factory in Sagamu, Ogun State recently.
He said 99 percent of team members of the factory are local staff while 100 percent of packaging materials are locally sourced. Its waste products are recyclable and can be reused.
In Nigeria for over 40 years, BIC products have become a household necessity in the country. In 2019, the company further expanded its portfolio by acquiring the stationery brand, Lucky and launching its own multi-million naira production facility in Sagamu from where it manufactures its products.
Ajakaiye delightfully said the team “constantly works to maintain the high-quality, international standards at the plant, while building and leveraging local capabilities and expertise.
During production of the pens, its laboratory does machine and manual testing every 15 minutes of production to determine quality of the pen. It said every pen should write up to 2 kilometres non stop as quality assurance.
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“We are proud of our local production, where 100% of our packaging material is sourced locally, and the iconic BIC Cristal pen and Lucky pens are locally produced.
“Our company’s purpose is to bring simplicity and joy to everyday life through creating high-quality, safe, affordable, and essential products – and our facility in Sagamu helps us deliver on that promise every day, Ajakaiye said”
Speaking during the tour, Guillaume Groues, General Manager at BIC Nigeria described Nigeria as one of the biggest and most active economies with a young population in Africa and remains at the forefront for BIC to drive sustainable growth, in line with its Horizon Plan.
“We pride ourselves with our constantly growing operation and our impact on local communities, contributing towards the country’s socio-economic development. We look forward to further growth and investment in Nigeria.”
He said the multi-million factory is the first step of BIC’s long term plan in Nigeria and we plan to expand our operations and go beyond the borders of Nigeria but to use Nigeria as a hub to distribute and market to other W/African and Central Africa countries.
BIC remains a foremost player in the Human Expression (stationery) and Blade Excellence (shavers) categories in the country.
In 2018, BIC launched its sustainable development program, Writing the Future Together. The program aims to drive BIC to achieve its five commitments – improving environmental and societal product footprint; acting against climate change; providing team members with a safe workplace; making supply chain more responsible; and reinforcing commitment to education.
