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What We Discovered At The ASABA Factory
There is a gigantic Agricultural project that is currently going on in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, which everybody is talking about right now. It is the TINGO Foods Processing Facility, at Ishiekpe, Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North, Delta State. It is massive and is being developed by Tingo Properties Plc. And the Project Contractor is Standites Nigeria Limited.
On Thursday, 15th June, 2023, City People travelled to Idumu-Azu Ishekpe, Onicha-Ugbo, in Aniocha North Local Government Area in Asaba, Delta State to see this on going construction of the multibillion dollar TINGO Food Processing Factory. It is an impressive project that is being built on 40 acres of land. Construction work has started on Phase 1 of this much talked about project which will be ready in 24 months.
When City People got to the construction site, we met over 250 workers neck deep at work with Caterpillars & Bulldozers working at frenetic pace. Tunji Rhema Moyero, the Project Contractor took us round the site. He told us that the Groundbreaking kicked off in February and that since then, has taken time to move to site, until a few weeks ago when work started again. He said construction of the 1st Phase will take 24 months.
“This project is sited on 40 hectares of land. Phase 1 is being built on 18.9 hectares and Phase 2 is to be built built on 22.1 hectares”. How soon will the project be completed?
“This project is expected to last 24 months. It would have been shorter than that if not for the various challenges we have faced” in the last few months.
What are the challenges? “The 1st challenge was the land dispute between the 2 communities over boundaries. But the matter has been resolved”.
Truly so. City People confirmed that the project would have been far gone than this, since February, when the ground breaking and turning of the sod took place, if not for the fight among the various the host communities. But the good news is that all these differences have been put behind them and has been laid to rest.
“So construction started 2 weeks ago, after the Elders & Chiefs resolved the hitches. All the contractors are back on site. There is Phase 1 and Phase 2”.
At the site, City People spoke to a few stakeholders like Dr. Yinusa Halidu, the National Secretary for All Farmers Association of Nigeria. He said many farmers are happy with the TINGO project in Asaba.
“Yes, there were hitches initially between the communities. But all that has been resolved and work is ongoing. The essence of the project is that TINGO wants to help farmers harmonise their products. There is a strong relationship between TINGO & Farmers.
TINGO has started funding our production line”.
Chris Cleverly, the President of TINGO Mobile & Food Company says the dream the company had initially is like a dream coming to reality now. Once the project is completed millions of farmers can bring their products here, for value adding benefits”.
“They don’t need to take their products abroad. They can now get it here, box it here, bottle it here, and package it here”.
“The workers here are more committed, than elsewhere, and I am very impressed at what I see. Once the project takes off, you will see more people working here. More farmers will see TINGO taking a lot of their products off them and TINGO turning it into finished products. Once we add value, more people will be involved in the process. Nigeria can feed itself. Nigeria can feed Africa. Africa can then feed the world”.
Work has begun in ernest on this project. The ground breaking ceremony held in February was hosted by Nigerian-born UK Serial Entrepreneur, Dozy Mmobuosi. It event was attended by eminent persons in government and industry across Nigeria, including the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar; the monarch of Onicha-Ugbo, (the host community), HRM Obi Chukwumalieze 1, the President General of Onicha-Ugbo Patriotic Union, Peter Kogolo and others.
Lets tell you a little about Tingo Foods which is a subsidiary of Tingo International Holdings Incorporation, which is setting up its food processing facility. The Founder of Tingo International Holdings, Mmobuosi, noted that the project, which would gulp about $1. 6b, will save Africa from paying foreign exchange on imported finished food products. Additionally, it will aid the export of made in Africa foods to the world, enhance intra-Africa trade via the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, and sell high-quality and nutritious food products in Nigeria.
Mmobuosi, an iconic Tech guru, is making the massive investment as a way of giving back to his birthplace. He has vowed to revolutionise the African Food Industry and create direct employment for the teeming youths in Nigeria, providing a significant boost to the Nigerian economy and contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs aim is to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all.
The facility’s job creation and wealth creation will help support SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 2, Zero Hunger. In recent times, the African food processing industry has thrived at a snail’s pace, with low productivity and poor usage of human capital.
Africa’s farmers and agribusinesses could create a trillion-dollar food market by 2030 if they have access to more capital, electricity, better technology, and irrigated land to grow high-value nutritious foods, and if African governments can work more closely with agribusinesses to feed the region’s fast-growing urban population, according to a new World Bank report.
This TINGO Food Processing Factory is expected to begin operations in the next 24 Months. Mmobuosi explained then that the facility is the first phase of a multi-billion dollar investment that Tingo International Holdings plans to make in the African food industry.
The company would decongest the labour market with the creation of no fewer than 12,000 direct employments with the setting up of its food processing facility in Delta State. The 43-year-old businessman is a co-founded Tingo Mobile, an Agri-Fintech company that aims at helping African Farmers. “We are on a mission to make Africa’s Food Production self-sufficient and sustainable, by putting Farmers at the heart of our story,” he explained.
“Tingo Foods is committed to tackling food insecurity in Africa in everything we do; from creating jobs, to supporting farmers and communities, creating tactical supply chains and creating a planet we would want our future generations to inherit.
Tingo Foods, is an upcoming Food Processing green field project in the Nigeria, on its way to producing high-quality, nutritious food products while encompassing environmental, social, and economic considerations for the long-term viability and health of our planet, society, and economy. Our commitment goes beyond creating nutritions food products to also responsibly source, utilise, equitable distribute, and preserve our natural resources and ecosystems.”
“We understand that our mission extends beyond food processing, that is why we prioritise environmental governance and implementing sustainable practices throughout our operations. From sourcing ingredients locally to responsible waste management, we’re dedicated to minimizing our environmental impact.”
In addition to environmental stewardship, Tingo Foods facility will house a 110 MW solar plant. The company prioritises it’s ESG responsibilities, which includes prioritizing the well-being of our employees, stakeholders, and the communities we serve. “We believe that supporting our farmers is crucial to achieving our mission.”
Who is afraid of TINGO Group, the fintech company owned by Dozy Mmobuosi? This is because, lately there has been a subtle attempt made by those who don’t like the company to start a smear campaign alleging that TINGO Group does not truly represent what it says it is. TINGO is a diversified business, which has subsidiaries spread across the mobile phones market, food processing and online food market place for farmers in Nigeria.
But its critics allege that it has discovered that TINGO’s operations are non-existent. Some of them allege that Mmobuosi’s claims are dubious and that the $1.6 billion TINGO food processing, plant claimed to have been launched does not exist. They claim that the plant is only a bare land with just a signpost, despite informing the US Securities & Exchange Commission that the building of the plant is progressing.
City People’s visit to Asaba has proven all these views wrong, as we saw work in progress.
– Seye Kehinde
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