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Funds, graft, taxes, others bane of entrepreneurship in Nigeria ­– Muyiwa

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BY: Nmerichukwu Igweamaka

Folorunso Muyiwa is the Chief Executive Officer of Divergent Enterprise, the parent company of Nigeria’s biggest pig farm, PorkMoney. In this interview, he talks about the country’s investment climate, economic diversification, among other issues. Excerpts.

The Federal Government of Nigeria maintains its determination to diverse the economy, do you think that is achievable?

It is definitely achievable. The diversification of the economy is probably the only option left for development. This is because the economy continues to rely so much on crude oil. The numbers speak for themselves. Oil accounts for 80 per cent of government’s revenue and 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. No country, especially one that is blessed with a lot of natural resources like Nigeria, can totally depend on one economic sector.

I believe that there are great opportunities for non-oil sectors to grow, and this growth has been visible since 2001. Of course, the changes cannot be very quick and the transformation will not happen overnight.

However, the Federal Government can develop different sectors by taking important steps necessary for growth to take place. We can no longer be a mono-economic country. 

Could that explain why you ventured into pig farming?

The idea of PorkMoney grew out of the desire to tap into a neglected sector of the livestock farming that has the potential to create value and change the agricultural ecosystem for good. Long ago before PorkMoney was launched in 2018, I visited a pig farm in Ogun State, one of the biggest in the country, and realised how fast the pigs grew and the viability of pig farming system in general. I knew this was something I needed to be a part of and I’m glad for the decision that I took. We are currently the leading pig farming enterprise in West Africa and our achievement speaks for itself. 

Did the idea of establishing PorkMoney emanate from that?

My visit to that farm was definitely a turning point for me. Before then, I was oblivious of the untapped goldmine that is pig farming. 

What challenges did you encounter?

Every business comes with a few challenges. One of the challenges we constantly face is the need to micro-manage casual workers from farm handlers, managers, production managers and other workers. Many of them compromise on set standards by cutting corners, especially in meat processing and livestock welfare.

Another challenge is the religious sentiments in this part of the world towards pigs and pork products. However, this was a more pronounced problem at inception and it is dissipating with time. 

Knowing the religious sensibilities of the country, did aversion to pork cross your mind?

Not at all. In as much as there is a religious proscription to the consumption of pork, we cannot ignore its usefulness and benefits to our health and nourishment and just how lucrative pig farming is. I mean, Nigeria is a major consumer of pork and 80 per cent of it is imported. This means that a lot of people enjoy this animal protein. All we are doing is localising its production. 

Is it possible to alter negative public perception about pig farming?

Definitely. One of our key responsibilities is to enlighten the general public about the great side to pig farming and inform them of the many benefits of pork consumption. Somehow, our environment and the kind of information we were exposed to as a people have influenced our idea of certain things. There are a lot of things we might need to unlearn as time goes on. So by using all our platforms – our social media, our website and even our adverts, we have ensured that we always show the good sides of pig farming because they are much. 

Did you consider the possible health challenges in pork breeding?

Of course, we do. However, we ensure that we take the appropriate steps to mitigate any possibility. We also take proper hygienic measures like vaccination, quarantine and biosecurity, which keep our weaners very healthy.

Are you saying there are no associated diseases?

Livestock farming comes with a risk of epidemics; but if managed properly, they can be prevented. The great thing about pigs is just how resilient they are, compared to any other livestock, to farm. They are simply incredibly disease-resilient. 

Vaccines and disease surveillance have always been the bane of animal husbandry. How do you take that observation?

Livestock are very prone to diseases; hence the need to constantly take precautionary measures such as administration of vaccines and disease surveillance activities across the farm to prevent outbreaks. Very recently, China witnessed its biggest animal disease that claimed livestock and cost the country billions of dollars because of its flawed surveillance.

So it’s important for other pork-producing countries to take adequate disease surveillance and testing programmes to detect these diseases early enough and prevent a fast spread.

So far, our farm partners under our management have taken adequate measures that have seen us not witness any outbreak since our launch in 2018. We expect that with our measures, this would continue to be the case.

What would you consider the most limiting factors to entrepreneurship in Nigeria, especially for youths?

Lack of capital is one of them. Aside that the Nigerian environment is not too conducive and encouraging for budding entrepreneurs, access to funds is one of the biggest challenges for youths in business. Another is the unfavourable tax policies, poor management, corruption, lack of training and experience, poor infrastructure and lack of specialised skills to scale one’s enterprise, none of which is insurmountable for a determined person. 

How would you rate Nigeria’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, compared to other countries like Malaysia?

The SME sector is the backbone of major developed economies and an important contributor to employment and economic growth. Malaysia is doing remarkably well when it comes to the business scene. About 98.5 per cent of business establishments in Malaysia are SMEs, which contribute 36.5 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and 65 per cent of the employment. This is impressive. Despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy (48 per cent), challenges still persist that hinder the growth and development of the sector. Some of the overriding issues are access to funding, lack of skilled manpower, multiplicity of taxes, high cost of doing business, among others. This proves that there is still much to be done.

As an entrepreneur, how did you overcome initial apprehensions, especially funding, and what areas have you exerted your ideas so far?

When I was starting out in business, I had no capital, training or resources to start my journey. The brilliant ideas were there. All that was needed to execute them was finance, which was lacking, but I had to start small and grow multiple businesses over the years till I was able to afford the capital needed to start my current pursuit.

GrassRoots.ng is on a critical mission; to objectively and honestly represent the voice of ‘grassrooters’ in International, Federal, State and Local Government fora; heralding the achievements of political and other leaders and investors alike, without discrimination. This daily, digital news publication platform serves as the leading source of up-to-date information on how people and events reflect on the global community. The pragmatic articles reflect on the life of the community people, covering news/current affairs, business, technology, culture and fashion, entertainment, sports, State, National and International issues that directly impact the locals.

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Court Case: Between Chioma Egodi And Erisco Foods, Still On The Defamation Of The Product “Nagiko Tomato Mix”

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How Chioma Egodi’s False Accusations Prompted Erisco Foods to Defend Its Reputation.

On this matter, A social commentator by the name Ebuka Amos, Has this in writing;

UNVEILING THE TRUTH AND EXPOSING THE LIES.

Did Chioma Egodi Review Erisco’s Nagiko Tomato Mix or Was She On A Mission To Destroy Erisco Foods And Run It Out Of Business? Be The Judge

On September 17th, 2023, Chioma Egodi Jnr in a facebook post on her timeline made the following statement;

“I went to but (buy) Tin Tomatoes yesterday that I will use to make stew, I didn’t see Gino and Sonia, so I decided to buy this one, (referring to Erisco Nagiko tomato mix), I decided to taste it omo! Sugar is juat (just) too much! Haaa biko let me know if you have used this Tin tomato before because this is an ike gwuru situation!”

The said post generated lots of reactions from her followers and facebook users; below are some of the reactions:

One Blessing Okeke responded “Stop spoiling my brother’s product, if you don’t like it use another one than bring it on social media or call the customer service of Erisco Foods Ltd” Chioma Egodi Jnr, responded to Blessing Okeke by writing “help me advise your brother to stop ki***ing (killing) people with his product, yesterday was my first time of using and its pure sugar. Tueh!

Lets look at that response in a proper perspective. Is that response still product review or product destruction? She just alleged that Erisco’s product is killing people. This is a very serious allegation and where and how did she get the information that the product is killing people? (is this a product review?). Be the judge. More so,

One Amaka Love Amaobi responded by writing “my sister thanks for updating us Dalu nne” (now based on Chioma Egodi allegation, this person will never use Erisco’s products again and moreso, through the word-of-mouth advert which is the most effective form of advert, she will spread this allegation to multiples of people)

One Don Kashking responded: Pls can we now spoil the product? And Chioma replied him by stating “done already bro,…The above statement is a clear conspiracy from Chioma Egodi and syndicate to destroy, damage and wreck the brand, Ersico.

They have moved from product review to product destruction.

Apart from the comments above, there were many more comments suggesting that the Erisco Nagiko Mix is a bad product and people should avoid it. Interestingly, there were many positive reviews from some of the users of the products, who gave positive reviews of the products and blatantly condemned what Chioma Egodi was doing. They cautioned Chioma Egodi that what she was doing was not a review but deliberate act to destroy Erisco Foods and it’s products.

Chioma responded to them by the write up below;

“@followers about my post yesterday concerning the sugary Tin Tomatoes, my inbox has seen a lot ooo, pls help me tell these persons to avoid me. I only ask if anybody has used it to give their honest opinion but these people is attacking me on my inbox that I am spoiling business for their brother, pls it’s enough stop it. We can take this matter to court oo if you want.”

You can see that Chioma was the first person that talked about going to court.

So, why the outcry now that the matter is in court? Furthermore, an interesting observation from the conversations on the comments section of her post is that she abused those that had positive comments about Erisco Nagiko Mix and made thumbs up (supported) for those that criticized it.

More so, some people advised her to pull down the post that she’s destroying someone’s business but she blatantly refused. It became evident that the intent and purposes of Chioma Egodi was not to review the product but was out to destroy it.

It was further evident that she was hired to destroy the product using her platform. Erisco Responds To Chioma Egodi’s AllegationWhen the management of Erisco Foods Ltd was notified about the post by Chioma Egodi, they enquired from there customer relations department if there was any official complaint from her on their product, they found none. They reached out to Chioma Egodi through a third party requesting her to bring the product she claimed to buy for verification to ensure if wasn’t a fake one, but she declined.

The management had no choice than to defend its reputation as the tense situation already generated a campaign of calumny to boycott Erisco’s products.Prompt Corporate Response Erisco Foods, aware of the weight words carry in the digital era, especially when concerning public health, took these accusations seriously.

The company, recognizing the potential harm such statements could have on consumer trust and public safety, responded promptly. They maintained that their product was safe, adhering to all health and safety standards, and that Egodi’s claims were not based on factual evidence.

The company further reached out to Chioma Egodi to bring the used Tin of the Nagiko Tomato Mix she tasted that was full of sugar or send the product batch number and production date so that the company can be sure it was their product she was talking about and not a fake one. Chioma declined all entreaties. Erisco then decided to use the legal route to clear its name.

Legal and Police Involvement Given the gravity of the claim that a food product was endangering lives, Erisco Foods Management petitioned the Police on a complaint of Criminal Conspiracy, de-marketing and blackmail of killing people by an organized body. That’s how the Nigerian police became involved. The police invited Chioma Egodi for investigation on the strength of Erisco’s letter. Chioma Egodi’s Apology.

During the Police investigation, Chioma Egodi offered and penned a remorseful apology with a promise of retraction as well as posting the apology on her page.

“I sincerely wish to apologize to Erisco Foods Limited for the post I made on Facebook about their product Nagiko Tomatoes mix. I am truly sorry for the product. I am fully sorry sir. I regret my actions and wish to be forgiven. I pledge that this type of bad behavior will never happen again. I undertake to retract all my earlier post on this matter immediately. This is without any compulsion. I will do everything within my power to rectify the mistake and wrong concerning the matter. All the things I told wrongly about the damage done to the company, its customers and the general public. Once again, I am very sorry for the offense.”

Chioma Failed To RetractOn the grant of bail, Chioma failed to retract her false allegation and started a campaign of calumny against Erisco Foods, saying she was forced to write the apology. The implication of this is that she still stands by her statement that Erisco Nagiko Mix is killing people.

Evasion After Bail Recall that based on the understanding that Chioma will use the same medium she used to allege that Erisco Nagiko Tomato Mix was killing people, to use same medium to retract her statement, Chioma was released on bail with a condition she will be available to complete peaceful settlement process. Instead of following through with her obligations agreed on, she reneged on the conditions of her release and continually jumped bail given to her by the Police.

Severing ties with the lawyer who had initially represented her in Abuja, and a relation that signed her bail bond. Chioma turned to Inibehe Effiong, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and legal challenges in her wake.

She equally made herself incommunicado making it impossible for the police to serve her with the court processes and refused to appear in court severally, which prompted the Judge to mandate Inibehe Effiong to produce her in Court at the next adjourned date.

Affirmation of Product SafetyThe Nigerian regulatory agencies gave its update on the status of Erisco Nagiko Tomato Mix for consumption.

1. NAFDAC.NAFDAC with its mandate to safeguard public health released a statement: “Update on the Registration Status of Nagiko Tomato Mix. The product in question – Nagiko Tomato Mix by Erisco Foods Limited with NAFDAC Registration Number A8-7430 is a registered product. The formulation of tomato paste and ketchup products with sugar is safe for consumption.”

2. The Lagos State Government’s Consumer Protection Agency, LASCOPA, weighed in with its findings: in its public statement, “LASCOPA SAYS NAGIKO TOMATO FIT FOR CONSUMPTIONContrary to claims made by one Mrs. Chioma Egodi on Facebook about the state of a tin tomato product named NAGIKO Tomato Mix 400g, the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, LASCOPA has declared that the product is safe for consumption and does not pose any health hazard to the consuming public.

A statement signed by the General Manager of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo said the certification by LASCOPA about the product follows the outcome of the laboratory tests which the product was subjected to upon the complaint from the consumer.

According to him, to authenticate her claim, LASCOPA had embarked on an independent investigation by inviting Erisco Foods Limited, the producer of the product and Egodi to two different meetings held on the 3rd and 10th of October, 2023.

In his words, “The outcome of the meetings informed the decision of LASCOPA to request for samples of the product which were subsequently taken to the laboratory for test and analysis as well as to ascertain the conformity of the sets of parameters of the product samples to establish if the product is safe for consumption or otherwise”.

“It must be noted that two samples of the product were taken from Erisco Foods Company and another two sets of samples were obtained from a market survey by LASCOPA to balance and ensure a true reflection of the state of the product from both the company and the market.

“The laboratory analysis of the two sets of samples collected for Microbial and Physicochemical tests showed that the product passed all the tested parameters and it is safe for consumption based on the outcome of the test conducted”, he added.

Interestingly, the product has been in the market since 2010, duly certified by Standards Organisation of Nigeria and NAFDAC and no issue of complaint has arisen since inception.Wrong Perception in the Court of Public Opinion The case of Chioma Egodi versus Erisco Foods Limited reverberated through the court of public opinion, a forum often swayed by sentiment and emotions rather than facts.

The discourse surrounding the incident highlighted the need for a balance between freedom of speech and the accountability that must accompany public declarations, especially when they concern the health and well-being of consumers.

Now, we’re left with deep questions that touch our hearts and make us think about what’s really going on. Why is Chioma working so hard to ruin a company’s good reputation, a company that has been feeding countless families for years?What makes a person ignore the damage they could do to the people who rely on that company for their jobs?

It could be deduced from the foregoing that the goal was never to review the product, but instead about causing so much trouble that the company might close down?These questions make us think about the kind of community we want.

Do we want to live in a place where people can make big accusations without proof, putting hard work and jobs at risk? Or do we want a community where we solve problems by talking, looking at the facts, and finding the truth?

This story about Erisco Foods and Chioma isn’t just about a fight between a company and one person. It shows us what we value, what we stand for, and the future we want to create.

Let’s not get carried away by false claims and narratives. Instead, let’s look for the truth with open hearts and minds. It’s not just about Erisco; it’s about our honesty and how we care for our community.

Credit: Ebuka Amos, Social Commentator.

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Food Insecurity: EFCC Arrests 21 Food-Loaded Trucks Heading To Neighbouring Countries

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sAccording to the reports made by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission via their X account, They disclosed that they will charge the suspects to court after the investigation is completed.

They wrote;

“Operatives of the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, arrested 21 trucks loaded with food and non-food items heading towards N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central African Republic and Cameroon.

“The trucks were intercepted in a sting operation at major exit routes along Kalabiri/Gamboru Ngala and Bama roads, Borno State.

“Investigation showed food items cleverly concealed in the trucks that would have gone undetected but for the eagle-eyed vigilance of operatives of the Commission.

“Further checks showed that the Waybills covering the goods carried by trucks indicated their destinations as N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central Africa Republic and Cameroon respectively.

“The arrest of the trucks is expected to stem the tide of food insecurity occasioned by unscrupulous antics of smugglers across the country.

“Suspects arrested with the trucks are being profiled and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”

Here are pictures from the interception.

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NAFDAC Places Ban On Alcoholic Drinks Produced In Sachets

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has banned alcoholic beverages produced in sachets less than 200ml.

Disclosing this to newsmen, the director-general of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said the five-year window given to the manufacturers of the products to stop producing the drinks in sachets and pet bottles which began in 2028 elapsed on January 31, 2024. She said enforcement of the ban commenced on February 1, 2024.

According to her, the agency took the decision to ban the production of the drinks in such sachets because of the negative effects on underage children. She said because the drinks come in pocket-friendly sizes, accessible and affordable, children easily fell for the packages only to face the consequences in the future.

“This decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC on one hand, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), in December 2018.

As a commitment to the decision reached at the end of this Committee meeting, producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce the production by 5 percent with effect from 31st January 2022 while ensuring the product is completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024”.

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