Nigeria: Dangote Group begins pineapple plantation in C’River

Dangote Group of Companies has commenced the cultivation of a multi million naira pineapple plantation measuring 5,600 hectares, which would provide pineapple juice for its newly acquired juice concentrate plant at the Calabar Free Trade Zone.

The plantation located at Isoba - Oban in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, is part of a grand pineapple estate being developed by the Dangote Group, in which millions of pineapples would be produced yearly, to sustain the Dansa Foods Limited, a fruit juice company in the Dangote Group.

According to the Vice President of the Dangote Group Nigeria Limited, Sani Dangote, the 5,600 hectares of plantation would be used for the cultivation of both pineapples and oil palm, while the pineapples would serve as raw materials to the Dansa Foods, the oil palm would provide palm nuts for a proposed modern palm oil processing mill and refinery in the area.

Sani Dangote disclosed that Dansa Foods Limited, Lagos currently produces six different flavours of fruit juices in tetra and doy packs for local consumption and export.

Performing the ground breaking ceremonies of the plantation, Governor Donald Duke said the Dangote Group was one of three biggest private investors in the state; adding that Dangote Flour Mills, Calabar currently employs 500 persons from the state; while the Obasanjo Farms in Akamkpa employs over 3000 persons.

Duke said when all the private sector owned agro plantations become fully operational in the state in a few years time, between 25,000 and 30,000 families would be direct beneficiaries.

The Dansa Agro-allied Plantation, Isob - Oban, Akamkpa, is making the third leg of the Dangote Group’s investments in Cross River; it adds to the Flour Mills and Transport Division. A likely fourth arm, the Dangote Cement Industry, to be located at Etankpini, Odukpani Local Government Area, is still in the drawing board.

Meanwhile, Akamkpa, a sprawling semi urban local council, is fastening an industrial status, hosting some of the biggest private industrial plants in the state. Earlier in the year, United Cemented Company of Nigeria (UNICEM), which acquired the former state-owned Calabar Cement Company (CALCEMCO), commenced the construction of a $350 million new greenfield cement plant at its limestone site at Mfamosing.

The 2.5 million metric tons cement plant is being constructed along with a 50 mega watts (mw) thermal electricity power plant. Also, the Obasanjo Farm Limited recently commenced operations at its multi million naira modern oil palm processing mill at the Kwa Falls Palm Estate.

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