We have Imported Enough-Aisha Buhari

Aisha Buhari

Wife of Nigeria’s President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has frowned at the extent of importation Nigeria has been involved in the past years. She has therefore called for an abrupt stop to importation .


This call was made last Thurday during the commissioning of Erisco Foods Limited’s new 450,000 tons tomato paste processing plant in Oregun, Lagos State, constructed at a cost of N4 billion ($150 million). Mrs. Buhari noted the need for Nigerians to consume made in Nigeria products at the expense of foreign goods.

“I think we have imported enough and we have to change that culture of importing things  we can produce locally.

“This is part of the change we are talking about that must happen in the country. Local food manufacturers have to be encouraged to grow as that is the only way to create employment for the youths and help local farmers to benefit more from their labour. Nigerians must also patronise local companies and their products,” Buhari added.

According to the President/CEO of Erisco Foods Limited, Chief Eric Umeofia, the new plant will give room for better production of tomato paste sourced from fresh tomatoes within Nigeria from local farmers. He noted the loss experienced in the northern part of the country which is pegged at 75 per cent.

“I visited northern Nigeria frequently in the recent past and I saw how more than 75 per cent of tomatoes harvested yearly are being wasted.

“Sadly, however, Nigeria spends about $1 billion importing tomato paste from abroad. All that will end with the inauguration of this project.

“Our new technology in this facility puts an end to all the waste Nigerian farmers are suffering over the years because it is a backward integration project investment we have made for Nigeria.

“We can now take 10 trucks of fresh tomatoes daily and process the fresh tomatoes to tomato paste and this factory is the first of its kind in Africa,”  Umeofia noted excitedly.