Kufre Ekanem, corporate affairs adviser of Nigerian Breweries (NB), said the brewer had unlocked opportunities in agro-allied input market in Ogun State with an injection of N20 billion into the state economy through local sourcing of raw materials and services.
According to Ekanem, NB was able to stimulate Ogun State economy through sourcing of locally-produced and processed raw materials as well as engagement of local services that had provided job opportunities for thousands of direct and indirect employees in the state and its environs.
Speaking while receiving Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his entourage to the Nigerian Breweries Plant in Sango-Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun state, the corporate affairs adviser said the multinational company was considering the option of increasing local sourcing of raw materials and services engaged in the production and distribution of products.
Ekanem, who conducted the governor’s team round NB facilities in Sango-Ota at the weekend, said the factory in Sango-Ota alone “has created jobs for numerous youths, including farmers while about N20 billion has been expended towards supporting ancillary industries in the state.”
He, however, expressed the company’s desire to continue to collaborate with government in its rebuilding mission, especially in attracting more investment opportunities to the state, adding that the corporate social responsibility of NB to the state would also be increased in the coming years.
Responding, Governor Ibikunle Amosun urged existing and new investors in the state to create further employment opportunities and wealth through the sustainable utilisation of locally-produced and processed raw materials and engagement of local services for better economic growth and development.
Amosun, who was represented by Bimbo Ashiru, commissioner for commerce and industry, urged owners of industries and entrepreneurs in the state to create more mutually-benefitted platforms for which adequate taxes would be to government’s coffers by taking advantage of various state-owned housing schemes.
He admonished investors and captains of industries operating in the state to adhere strictly to safety precautions in line with global best practices towards ensuring safety of life and property in factories, adding that safety remained one of the key components to management of both human and non-human resources in any industrial setting for optimum performance and output.
RAZAQ AYINLA
