By JIMOH BABATUNDE

Chief Eric Umeofia, the CEO, Erisco Foods, believes the best option opened to Nigerians at this critical stage of our economic development is to look inward through manufacturing which to him is the only way out.

He believes if the government supports manufacturing that Nigerians will be surprised at what happens in this country in the next ten years.

He said “Erisco Foods Limited’s mission is simply to help the economy, to help Nigeria control our own economy. We deal in the manufacturing of tomato paste, to help stop the importation of fake and substandard tomato paste from China that is actually damaging both our economy and health. We want to be exporting tomato paste from Nigeria. We have the capacity and all it takes to achieve it. And by the grace of God, we are determined to do that.”

He said although it hasn’t been a smooth journey as the manufacturing sector is riddled with a plethora of problems such as power, insecurity, lack of infrastructure and poor government policy.

“The system has not been fair to us over the years, because when others were given undue advantage and waivers to import finished products, we refused to join in the destruction of the Nigerian economy, rather we believed in Nigeria and her potentials from day one; hence all our product lines are made in Nigeria.

So, since the coming of this government under the leadership of President Buhari, Umeofia will not hold any discussion without praising the administration for taking the bold step that will encourage local manufacturing.

Last week Thursday was an opportunity to do so again when the wife of the President, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, commissioned Eric Umeofia’s 450, 000 metric tonnes Erisco Foods’ Tomato Paste factory in Lagos.

“I must be quick to say here that this rare feat has been made possible only because of the fantastic policies of the present government ably led by our visionary and highly patriotic and incorruptible President Muhammadu Buhari . We have continued to salute the courage and vision of Mr. President and Vice-President Yemi Osibajo for taking the bold step to introduce FOREX restrictions on 41 items including tomato paste concentrate.

“This bold step apart from saving our scarce foreign exchange will compel Nigerian to go back to the basics of eating our own home- grown food which is better, healthier and more economically sound for us as a people in the long run as many other countries do.

From left: Hajiya Aisha Buhari;, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode and Mrs. Toyin Saraki, during the commissioning of the tomato processing factory .

He added “Erisco Foods Limited has an installed production capacity of 450,000 metric tonnes per annum in our Lagos factory alone (the biggest in Africa and 4th Largest in the World) with robust plans for backward integration that have been ongoing over the past 3 years, we challenged ourselves to provide leadership and fast-track our backward integration programme by developing a technology and process that will synchronize with our existing machines to produce tomato paste directly from fresh tomatoes to tomato pastes, ketchups, etc. in response to President Buhari’s call for Nigerians to look inwards.”

Umeofia said the benefits of the Erisco Foods Revolution in tomato Paste come in many wonderful streams. “Nigerians will be able to eat fresher and healthier tomato paste proudly grown and made in Nigeria. Since tomatoes are in rich source of Lycopene (which is a major anti-oxidant) adults and children alike will be stronger and better equipped with the nutrients to face the challenges of personal and nation-building. As we know, healthy person is a happy nation!

“Secondly, The Erisco Foods Revolution in Tomato Paste production will stop the annual wastages of over 75% of fresh tomatoes across Nigeria. .

He said with the good policy of the present administration maintained that there will be nothing like tomato glut anywhere in Nigeria in the next two years, “we as off-taker will produce and process to meet our local demands and export to earn foreign exchange provided government continues to support manufacturing.

“Just before this administration came on board, Erisco Foods was on the verge of shutting down the factory or relocate. We had continued to endure losses upon losses of over N2.5billion with attendant mounting bank charges during 5 years of our operations and it came to a peak in the first and second quarter of 2015 when the regulators looked the other way while criminally-minded foreigners in collaboration with some wicked Nigerians flooded our dear country markets with almost 300 substandard brands of tomato pastes from Asia!.

“Sadly we were busy exporting our job opportunities to China and other parts of Asia while millions of Nigerian youth are here struggling with the pains of unemployment.

“We have huge stocks of finished products worth billions of Naira in our warehouses which we are not selling due to dumping of these substandard brands of tomato paste from China that are cheap and filled with starch and colours. We are pleading for the Government to create policies and competitive markets that will enable us to compete and have the markets to sell our products and pay our bank loan.

He called on President Buhari “to ban the importation of tomato paste, without waste of time. We can do without the imports. We don’t need it. It will create opportunities for people. Only the tomato paste industry can create jobs for more than one million people in this country, from farmers to processors to marketers.”

“Nigeria is uniquely blessed with a special climatic condition which allows us to grow tomato more than twice a year but sadly Nigeria has remained the biggest tomato paste importer in the world. I assure you, No nation can survive the level of dumping of sub-standard and fake tomato paste and other food items. After over 50 years of independence, it is unacceptable that we continue to import what can be sourced locally and putting pressure on our foreign exchange earnings.

While expressing joy at the sacking of some agencies Directors recently, Umeofia urged the President to appoint patriotic and God-fearing Nigerians with the same zeal and vision in moving Nigeria forward to head NAFDAC.

“we urge the federal Government to as a matter of national emergency direct all Heads of various Government Agencies and parastatals involved in industrial sector to stop giving undue advantage to ‘briefcase’ foreign investors who camouflage as industrialists whose primary interest is to import finished goods as raw materials without paying taxes or the relevant customs duties with the aid of some unscrupulous Nigerian officials who are always willing to sell their birth right at highest cost against our National interest.

The Erisco foods boss said the commissioned factory will save the country and farmers over 75% fresh tomato wastages. “we will eat better fleshier and healthier tomato pastes, earn foreign exchange to the country and this new technology, in the nearest future, Nigeria will no longer be the major importer of tomatoes but would now be the major exporter of tomatoes and other food items all made in Nigeria from Nigerian soil.