Nigeria’s oil palm imports in the three months to end March 30, 2019 reached a total of 112,480 metric tonnes as the country continues to implement strategies to ensure self-sufficiency in oil palm production.

According to data from the Malaysian Palm oil Board, the country imported a total of 41,281 tonnes, 8,532 tonnes and 52,872 tonnes in January, February and March and 9,795 tonnes in April. Nigeria’s oil palm production and export has historically contributed substantially to the country’s external reserves and agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the past, palm oil and palm kernels exports composed 15.0 per cent to 20.0 per cent of the country’s total exports, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

However, the sector has continued to witness a downturn with contribution to global market share tapering to a scanty 1.4per cent as at 2018, with Indonesia and Malaysia leading in the global production. Nigeria’s annual consumption is put at 2.4 million tonnes annually compared to the current local production of between 1.7 to 1.8million metric tonnes produced in about 15 states. The major oil palm producing states include; Enugu, Imo, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, Oyo, Abia, Edo and Ogun State.

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Source: Food Business Africa, May 2019

The Sona Group of Industries has inaugurated effluent treatment plants in Sango -Ota, Ogun State. The treatment plants were inaugurated in four of subsidiary units of Sona Group, namely: Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited, Sona Agro Allied Foods Limited, Food, Agro and Allied Industries Limited and Shongai Packaging Industries Limited were also inaugurated.

The treatment plants are expected to treat the wastewater produced by the industries, which are undesirable by- products before release into the environment.

Speaking during the inauguration, the Commissioner for Environment, Ogun state, Bolaji Oyeleye, commended the efforts and investment of the group and promised that the state government would create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

“When we started up with them, we noticed they could do better and we started engaging with them. The result is what we are witnessing today. We want to implore them to put up this plant in any of their factories where they do not have it,” he said.

The Chairman, SONA Group, Arjan Mirchandani, expressed the group’s commitment to boost local food production in the country, noting that “the commitment, by the company was the surest way to save Nigeria’s foreign exchange spent on food products the country had competitive and comparative advantage of producing locally.”

According to him, “Nigeria has over 50 per cent arable land that is underutilised,” pointing out that the country has no business being poor if the land was put to effective use.

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Source: Beverage Indutry News, May 2019

After an 8-day intensive induction, the 28 Pioneer interns who were selected for the program fully resumed at their assigned functions on the 23^rd of July 2018 for the rest of the 10-week program.

The induction program, involving both classroom training and field attachments, gave the interns an all-round overview of the business and the various functions within the business. The classroom training which started on Wednesday, the 11^th of July and ended on Friday 13^th July, enlightened the interns on the basis of the subunits and functions. On Monday 16^th July, they embarked on a tour of the Ikeja plant led by Peace Emele, the Customer Service Manager. From Tuesday 17^th – Friday 20^thof July, they were assigned to different commercial territories on market visit and field sales experience.

From the 23^rd of July 2018, they began their 3-day work week with 2 days in Sales, 1 day in sales and 1-day classroom training every other week. In total, they will have 4 classroom trainings. The Coke Naija Summership will run till 29^th of September, 2018.

Source: Coca-colahellenic

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Dutch investment planned for Nigeria: A number of Netherlands food and beverage companies have indicated their support for investing in Nigeria, Beverage Industry News (NG) has reported. At a meeting with President Buhari, FrieslandCampina said it would invest about €11 million in a ‘ready-to-drink’ project, using 100% locally sourced milk, while Heineken welcomed Nigeria’s “stability in exchange rate for the past six to eight months.”

The leadership of Dutch firms in Nigeria have pledged to increase their investments in the country.

The commitments were made when Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, met with some of the CEOs of the Dutch firms during his official visit to The Hague, Netherlands.

According to a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Mr Hein Schumacher of FrieslandCampina described Nigeria as “a most important country to us,” adding that the conglomerate would invest about €11 million euros in a “ready-to-drink project, using 100% locally sourced milk.”

Source: Beverage Industry News (NG) – July 17 2018

Pupils of Duabone R/C Primary School, a beneficiary school in the Agona East District, of the Central Region of Ghana, now grow and eat more vegetables, to maintain a healthier lifestyle, thanks to the collaboration between Nestlé and the Ghana Education Service, as part of implementation of the Nestlé for Healthier Kids .

Under the Nestlé for Healthier Kids, a global flagship programme, the company is supporting parents and caregivers on their journey to raise healthier kids. At Nestlé, we believe that by helping new generations eat and drink better and move more, we enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future. The company has set an ambition to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030.

In Ghana, the nutrition education component of Nestle for Healthier Kids helps to raise nutrition and health knowledge and promotes physical activity among school-aged children. The programme is implemented with additional key modules such as vegetable gardening, healthy hydration, physical activities, and nutrition quiz. The Vegetable Gardening module teaches Pupils the importance of including vegetables in daily food intake, and how to grow them using the right farming tools and methods.

The 2017 Ghana micronutrient survey recently published highlights that 35% of children are anaemic with concurrent iron deficiency, with vitamin A deficiency affecting about 25% of pre-school children.

In order to help curb malnutrition, there is the need for organizations to rise up to the challenge with innovative means to help children have access to key nutrients in their daily food intake and proper care for their growth and wellbeing.

According to Head Teacher of the School, Mr. Lawrence Nyame, Duabone R/C Primary School is under the School feeding program, thus vegetables grown are added to other produce to cook for the Pupils. He noted that the pupils have learnt a lot from the module and some have their own gardens, which they spend time on during vacations and use produce for food at home.

Happy Awugya is a Class 6 Pupil of the school who finds the Vegetable Gardening an exciting activity. “Through the lessons provided, I now know how to grow vegetables. I own a garden at home where I grow, carrot, chili pepper, and okro. I harvest them from time to time to support cooking in the house. I have also learnt that vegetables offer the human bodies vitamins needed for growth and staying healthy”.

Since inception of the Nestlé’s programme in 2011, a total of 23,974 pupils have been reached. Nutrition education is embedded in classroom lessons and physical outdoor activities delivered by teachers and supervisors, who have been trained on the modules developed by Nestle in collaboration with the University of Ghana Nutrition and Food Science Department and the Curriculum and Research Department of the Ghana Education Service. About 7,014 children have participated in the Vegetable Gardening module planting okro, carrot and chili pepper.

“We are on course to achieving our ambition through nutrition education, helping children make healthier food choices, and fortifying our products with the necessary micronutrients to address deficiencies”, said Mrs. Freda Duplan, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana.

Apart from learning how to grow vegetables, the module also encourages consumption, and provides hands on experience on what goes in to the production of fruits and vegetables. It generates sense of pride and great excitement for the pupils during harvest of their produce.

Nestlé for Healthier Kids is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 and 3, which respectively seek to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture as well as ensure healthy lives and promotes well-being for all at all ages.