Steve Agbota; Charles Nwaoguji
Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, last week commissioned N4.1 billion Nestle Milo Ready-To-Drink (RTD) beverage production plant set up to meet the growing consumers demand in Agbara, Ogun state.
The plant, which is equipped with the state of the art technology and adopts high safety and environmental standards and the investment would help create 150 additional jobs.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new plant, Osinbajo, said that Nestlé’s commitment to do business in Nigeria is unwavering in the past 57 years. The zeal to invest in Nigeria is commendable particularly when considering the social economic benefits achieved in Nigeria.
He added: “This new plant is a reflection of the continued confidence the industry has in the robustness of our economy. We are grateful to Nestlé for these significant investments, particularly for locating its factories in rural communities and sourcing its raw materials from local farmers contributing to the sustainable development of Nigeria.”
He therefore urged other multinational companies to emulate and key into Nestlé’s initiative by investing in the country, adding that the Federal Government remained committed to supporting Nestlé in order to grow the nation’s economy and create more jobs in the country.
Managing Director and CEO Nestlé Nigeria, Mauricio Alarcon said: “The new Nestlé Milo RTD is complementing the existing range of offerings of our iconic Milo brand. It is conveniently packaged to offer the unique Milo taste and meet the nutrition needs of active children on the go. This is in line with the company’s commitments to enable healthier and happier lives.”
“This new production plant is a true reflection of how Nestlé creates shared value for all, by providing good jobs, sourcing 80 per cent of our inputs with local farmers and investing in the development of rural communities,” he said.
The new plant produces Nestlé Milo Ready-To-Drink (RTD) beverage in 180ml cartons and has a yearly production capacity above 8,000 tonnes.
Launched in October 2017, Milo RTD is made from the natural goodness of milk, malt and cocoa.
Milo provides essential nutrients and is fortified with Nestlé’s unique blend of vitamins, ACTIVGO (Vitamins B3, B2, B6, B12, vitamin C, and vitamin D) and minerals including calcium and Iron.