OCP Africa, a fertiliser
manufacturing company which has its headquarters in Morocco, has made known its
intention to establish two industrial fertiliser plants worth $1 billion this
year to balance Nigeria’s government effort to boost local production.
The Managing Director of the
company, Muhamed Hettiti, mentioned that the plants would in no small measure
help in boosting local production, create jobs and facilitate export
opportunities.
He further stated that the firm
is supporting the Federal Government’s drive to increase local production of
fertiliser as well as ensuring a decrease in NPK fertiliser importation.
“We have an objective to balance the trade between Morocco and
Nigeria. We do not want only importation into Nigeria. Nigeria is importing DAP
(Di-Ammonium Phosphorous) fertiliser from Morocco.
“We
want to leverage on the local raw material that is abundant in Nigeria which is
ammonia. That is why we are looking for co-advertisement with the Federal
Government to establish a big plant worth $1 billion. “The
plant will produce ammonia that we can export to Morocco.
“In 2018, we targeted 70,000 but as at
November, we have done 67,600 in Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi and Kano states. In
2019, we have proposed to reach out to 100,000.”
He further mentioned that, under this initiative, they bring together all the stakeholders in the
sector like the financial sector, seeds suppliers, fertiliser suppliers and
off-takers.
“We
try to develop farmers to see farming as a business. “We have reached out to 10,000 farmers in Kaduna and Gombe states.
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