Notore Chemical Industries Plc has totally denied allegations that it is involved in activities which sabotage Nigeria's security and economy

Apparently responding to statements credited to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in the media last week, the foremost manufacturer of fertiliser stressed that the allegations in no way represented the character and operation of their business.

According to Notore, "Our attention has been drawn to various publications in the media containing serious allegations about Notore Chemical Industries Plc (Notore). In the publications, Notore is alleged to be sabotaging Nigeria’s national security and economy by being a conduit for explosive materials as well as being “unpatriotic.” Notore is constrained to refute the allegations in the strongest terms.

"Notore has not been, is not, and has no intention whatsoever, of engaging in any activity that is detrimental to Nigeria. As a Nigerian company with predominantly Nigerian beneficial shareholders, Notore has always been committed and is focused on supporting initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria and championing the African Green Revolution with a focus on Nigeria.

"Notore is the premier producer of urea fertilizer in sub-Saharan Africa and has been in production for over six years. As the Champion of the African Green Revolution, Notore has as its core goal the enhancement of food production and food security in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. Part of its strategy to achieve this goal is to focus on sales in the local market via Notore’s extensive, controlled and award-winning distribution channels. In addition, Notore has and uses extension workers who are committed to the training of local farmers on best practices and the creation of ‘test plots’ to showcase the benefits of effective use of fertilizer on crops, the creation of an effective and efficient distribution channel to ease access to fertilizers for the farmers, as well as boosting production capacity to meet the ever increasing demand of the Nigerian farmer."

The Onne-based fertiliser makers and distributors said over the past several years, through its private extension services and controlled distribution channels, which include over 2,500 Village Promoters, it has reached over 3 million Nigerian farmers who have been impacted positively with increased yields.

It added that as estimated by a 2013 report by Propcom-DFID, an innovative, market-driven initiative of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) that aims to reduce poverty in Nigeria, over 33% of smallholder farmers in seven selected northern states learned at least one improved farming practice from Notore’s activities, leading to increased yields and income.

Notore said it also worked with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, some selected states, and International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in designing and implementing the fertilizer voucher program between 2009 and 2012, which greatly improved the administration of the fertilizer subsidy program by increasing the reach to target beneficiaries from a previous 11% to as high as 60%.

"The success of this voucher program became the basis on which the Federal Government created the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) e-wallet program, which sought to improve agricultural productivity through the effective and efficient delivery of farm inputs such as fertilizer, which increased yields. It is through these and other activities that Notore has helped and continues to help build Nigeria’s agricultural and economic landscape, which has a direct impact on the country's GDP.

"As part of its commitment to Nigeria, the bulk (about 75%) of Notore’s production of fertilizer is focused on the Nigerian market, and because Nigeria largely has only one planting season, the majority of this production is sold locally during this peak season. Notore only exports limited amounts of fertilizer during the dry season -- when there is essentially zero demand for fertilizer in Nigeria-- yet continues to work aggressively with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to encourage and stimulate farming in Nigeria during the off-season in order to further its core goal of increased food production and food security in Nigeria. For instance, Notore has been a key partner in the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ Program aimed at increasing the local production of key crops. During the recently completed pilot of the rice anchor borrowers’ program in Kebbi State, Notore supplied all the urea fertilizer used in the program. It is important to note that the company delivered the requested fertilizer for the program within a very short period to all the locations in which the program was implemented in the state. In continuation of that program, Notore has also committed to supplying all the urea fertilizer required for the program during the current rainy season in all 11 target states.

"Another example of Notore’s aggressive efforts to stimulate farming in Nigeria is its successful onion intervention in Kebbi State. In 2010, an unprecedented severe case of onion twister disease in Kebbi State, similar to the recent tomato crisis, crippled all farming activities involving onions. As of the time of Notore’s intervention in 2010, onions were in short supply with high demand, thereby raising the price to an all-time high of N40,000 per bag. However, following Notore’s intervention, involving a combination of experiments to test different options to combat the problem as well as educating farmers on the need to adopt best practices, the dry season of 2011-2012 saw a huge rise in produce availability. This pushed down the price per bag of onions from about N7,000 in December 2011 to N1,000 in May 2012.

"Urea fertilizer is crucial for the agricultural revolution in Nigeria and for the millions of farmers who rely on it to achieve food security and self-sustenance. Notore produces urea solely for agricultural purposes, and urea, on its own, is harmless. It is only when people that are involved in nefarious activities further process urea by mixing it with harmful substances, such as nitric acid, that the combination can become dangerous. Notore does not produce, import, or in any way use nitric acid. Furthermore, Notore has worked and continues to work with government agencies to ensure that its products move strictly through its controlled distribution channels to be delivered directly to official distribution partners and then into the market." the company stated.