By Etop Ekanem

Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group has entered into a partnership with global agribusiness company, Wilmar International, a move expected to strengthen food production, manufacturing, and distribution across Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

The companies said the agreement will combine their existing operations into a jointly owned business covering agriculture, edible oils, rice, food processing and consumer products.

In a joint statement released by the companies, the Vice Chairman of TGI Group, Farouk Gumel, stated: “By integrating Wilmar’s upstream and downstream palm oil capabilities, processing expertise, portfolio of trusted consumer brands with TGI Group’s manufacturing scale, local market expertise, established consumer brands and nationwide route-to-market, we are building a platform that will deepen domestic value addition, support smallholder farmers, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s food security.”

Chairman and CEO of Wilmar International, Kuok Khoon Hong, said the partnership would combine the strengths of both companies to better serve consumers in the region.

“The combination of Wilmar’s integrated capabilities and TGI Group’s established consumer brands and nationwide distribution platform creates a uniquely positioned business to serve African consumers,” he said.

Founder and Chairman of TGI Group, Cornelis Vink, also noted that the deal would enable both organisations to build on their strengths in manufacturing and food production.

“This partnership will leverage Wilmar’s global scale and expertise as well as TGI’s local knowledge to deliver innovative food solutions across Africa,” he stated.

Mr Santosh Pillai, Wilmar’s Africa Head,  also acknowledged TGI Group’s critical role, stating that TGI brings “strong local execution capabilities, established consumer brands and a deep distribution network” that are highly complementary to Wilmar’s upstream strengths.

The companies said the transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed during the 2026 financial year.

TGI Group operates across agriculture, food processing and manufacturing, while Wilmar International is one of Asia’s largest agribusiness companies with operations in more than 50 countries.