Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has commissioned its cashew processing plant, designed to produce 60 tons per day, in Epe, Lagos State.
The commissioning of the cashew plant called “Mighty Kashoo” is an effort by the company reputed for its sustainable business offerings at diversifying into the economically significant agricultural industry in addition to its thriving construction major.
Epe lies on the north bank of the about 50 km long coastal Lagos lagoon that has since been a collecting point for the export of fish. But all that changed Saturday with the commissioning of Julius Berger’s huge and expansive cashew processing plant.
According to Mutiu Sunmonu, chairman of Julius Berger’s Board of Directors, who presented the keynote address at the event, the occasion marks a pivotal moment in the company’s history “as we are ready to succeed and move in the right direction tremendously for Nigeria, our employees and shareholders.”
He recalled the history of the company in Nigeria saying that since 1965 when Julius Berger entered Nigeria with the construction of the Eko Bridge in Lagos, “we have always represented ourselves very well with our trademark great value chain.”
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“We have now strategically diversified Julius Berger from being only an engineering construction entity into agricultural produce processing for which we all know Nigerians have a historical antecedent and understandable nostalgia,” Sunmonu said.
He added that there is a lot the company still has in the pipeline, saying, “as we continue to work on our plans, you will see us transform into a conglomerate.”
The Chairman revealed that the new factory is semi-automated for premium international quality cashew processing and designed to produce about 60 tons per day. “We seriously aim to create and sustain increasing value and add significantly to Nigeria’s GDP,” he added.
Lars Richter, the managing director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, in his speech, said that by the commissioning of the factory, Julius Berger has inaugurated its first cashew processing plant, marking another significant milestone in the company’s partnering relationship with Nigeria.
“Today we start another milestone in our relationship with Nigeria built from the past into the future,” he said.
