ENUGU — The Enugu United Palm Products Limited (UPPL), a public-private partnership between Pragmatic Palms Limited and the Enugu State Government, has commenced commercial production of palm oil for the Nigerian market and is set to expand into refined products, including vegetable oil, olein and stearin.
The Managing Director of UPPL, Prof. George Nwangwu, disclosed this on Monday when he led other directors of the company to Government House, Enugu, to brief Gov. Peter Mbah on the progress of the company since the commencement of its operations.
Nwangwu said the company had restored its plantations in Ibite-Olo, Umulokpa and Ugwu-Oba, located in Ezeagu, Uzo-Uwani and Oji River Local Government Areas of the state, respectively, to productive use.
He said the company had so far replanted more than 1,000 hectares of the plantations and was gradually replacing old palm trees, some of which were more than 50 years old.
“When we took over, the place was thick forest and nothing but a dead place. We came in and turned the place from being a forest into a plantation.
“We have cleared the whole place, pruned the trees that were there and started replanting. The trees we met were very old, over 50 years old, and so they needed to be replaced. Gradually, we are replacing them. So far, we’ve planted over 1,000 hectares. The idea is to keep planting until we replant the entire plantation and renew all the trees that are there,” he said.
Nwangwu said the company was moving beyond primary agricultural production by investing in processing and value addition, adding that it had installed mills and improved the quality and volume of palm oil production.
“We also understand that this is a business and not just planting. Agriculture has moved beyond planting alone. We need to process because value addition is important. So, we’re milling our oil now. We’ve improved the quality and quantity of the oil that we’re producing.
“We have installed mills and also invested heavily in refining the products further down the line. We’re investing about $2.2 million to install a refinery. The refinery will not only refine our Crude Palm Oil (CPO) into olein and stearin, it will also refine our palm kernel oil,” Nwangwu said.
He said the refinery project would enable the company to deepen its value chain and reduce dependence on the sale of unprocessed agricultural products.
The UPPL managing director also disclosed that the company was developing a new industrial complex to consolidate its production and processing operations.
Nwangwu said the company had also launched its palm oil brand, EVOP, which was already available in open markets and supermarkets across Nigeria.
He said sachet packaging of the product was expected to enter the market within two weeks.
According to him, the name EVOP was chosen to reconnect the new product with Enugu’s agricultural and industrial history, particularly the former AVOP vegetable oil brand produced in Nachi, Udi Local Government Area.
“We chose the name EVOP to make sure that we keep in touch with our historical foundation. Some of us who are old enough would remember AVOP vegetable oil being bottled in Nachi, Udi. We feel that this is the product of our people and we had to connect with our historical beginnings.
“That’s why we called it EVOP, to connect with and remind people of our historical AVOP,” he said.
Nwangwu said the company’s objective was to make the product accessible to households across Nigeria while maintaining quality, natural production and traceability.
“The important takeaway about this palm oil is that it’s natural. Our plantations are in Ibite-Olo, Umulokpa and Ugwu-Oba. You can see the trees there. If you go there, you can see where we harvest the fruit bunches, how we mill the fresh fruit bunches and how we package them.
“Everything is done in-house. Nothing is contracted. We are end-to-end, and we also have certification from NAFDAC, SON and all the relevant agencies.
“If you look at our product, you’ll see a barcode there, and you’ll also see a code that you can scan to tell you where the product is from. For us, traceability matters, and that is the fundamental advantage of our palm oil,” Nwangwu added.
He said the expansion of the company was expected to create jobs, stimulate economic activities and strengthen Enugu State’s agricultural value chain.
Responding, Gov. Peter Mbah described the partnership between the Enugu State Government and Pragmatic Palms Limited as a model worthy of emulation.
Mbah said the development demonstrated his administration’s commitment to reviving dormant government assets and converting them into productive ventures for the benefit of the people.
The governor assured UPPL that the state government would fulfil its obligations under the partnership and provide the necessary support to enable the company realise its potential.
Mbah also expressed support for the company’s plan to list on the Nigerian stock market within four years, saying Enugu needed companies capable of attracting public investment and creating greater value for the state.
“This is consistent with the state’s ambition, to optimise these assets and to grow them and make them big. We are talking about an investment outlay of over N100 billion, and if in four years you are targeting going to the market, we are with you on that. We will give you all support,” he said.
The governor disclosed that the state government was at the verge of awarding two major road projects to improve access to the company’s plantations, including the road from Umumba Ndiagu to Ebenebe.
He said the projects would be fast-tracked to facilitate access to the plantations and support the company’s operations.
Mbah also said he had directed that the headquarters of the state’s Forest Guards be located at Ibite-Olo to strengthen security around the plantation.
He assured the company that the government would address any encroachment on its acquired land.
The governor further assured UPPL that the state government would provide the 6,700 hectares committed under the partnership and work with the company and host communities to secure additional land if the company decided to expand its target to 10,000 hectares.
The 6,700-hectare UPPL asset covers plantations at Ibite-Olo, Ugwuoba and Umulokpa, with the state government and Pragmatic Palms sharing interests under the public-private partnership.
Mbah stressed the importance of maintaining transparent and credible financial records ahead of the proposed stock market listing.
He said the government would maintain regular engagements with the company to identify challenges and ensure their prompt resolution.
The governor said the revival of UPPL was consistent with the administration’s broader policy of converting moribund state assets into productive ventures, while creating employment and expanding the state’s industrial base.
