The United States Consul General to Nigeria, Jeffrey Hawkins, has said that Procter & Gamble (P&G) Nigeria Limited is leading the race for increased American investment in the Nigerian economy. Hawkins stated this while visiting the brand new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant of the company in Agbara Industrial Estate in Ado-Odo, Ota, Ogun State recently.

Consul-General Hawkins who expressed satisfaction with the quality and standards of the manufacturing facility disclosed that the United States of America is in Nigeria, not only as one of world’s fastest growing economy and Africa’s biggest economy, “it is very clear that the United States is very much interested in Nigeria and the Nigerian market and economy as an investment destination. That’s why our government has been actively involved in driving more American investment in Nigeria. We continue to encourage American companies to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria and motivate existing American companies to increase their investments in the country.

“Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited is one American company that has consistently display confidence in the Nigerian economy and investment climate and has been at the forefront of increased American investments in Nigeria. It is also quite clear that American businesses, particularly Procter & Gamble in this case, is quite interested in the Nigerian market. As you can see, with this plant, Procter & Gamble has made Nigeria the hub of its business in this region,” he said.

With about 6 million Nigerian babies been raised, Hawkins expressed that Nigerian babies start their lives on a comfortable note because they are weaned and raised on Procter & Gamble (P&G) products particularly the company’s range of quality diapers and other global renowned baby care products.

According to Consular-General Hawkins, the importance of diapers cannot be overemphasized while raising babies. “I am a father myself, I know what it means to raise babies, so I know the importance of diapers and other baby care products” he said adding that “Procter & Gamble in particular very much understood the importance of establishing relationship with the customer early in life. Anyway, for a company with wide products range like Procter & Gamble, they understood that they need a relationship that will go a whole lifetime with the customer. And Procter & Gamble also understands that if you provide quality products at quality prices, you can keep that customer throughout his/her lifetime. It means that almost every Nigerian baby is already Procter & Gamble customers,” he said.

The US envoy also hinted that his visit is in furtherance of the objectives of the recent visit to Nigeria by Secretary of Commerce of United States, Ms. Penny Pritzker adding that his country’s government has initiative policies and programmes targeted as encouraging and driving investments by US companies in the Nigerian economy.

Hawkins who was accompanied on the visit by top US Embassy officials including the US Consulate Economic Officer, James Plasman and Economic Specialist, Mayowa Obilade hailed the leading fast moving consumer packaged goods (FMCG) giant (P&G) Nigeria Limited for sitting its multibillion naira new manufacturing plant in Nigeria, thereby making the country the hub of its manufacturing operations in the West Africa with capacity to service the entire sub-Saharan Africa growing markets.

Hawkins said he is satisfied with the growing interest of US businesses in the Nigerian investment climate adding that P&G has boosted the confidence of American investors in the Nigerian economy. He said the company is strategically leading the industrial revolution that Nigeria so much desires adding that it is also a confirmation of the renewed American interests in the Nigerian investment climate.

On hand to receive the US envoy were top management of P&G Nigeria led by the company’s Managing Director, George Nassar, Plant HR Manager, Akinkunle Akinpelu, SSA, GR Director, Temitope Iluyemi, Communications Director, Khulu Mabaso,. PS GR/SEC Manager, Olanlege Abdulfattah, Corp Communications Manager, Tomiwa Akande and Nigeria GR Manager Ikechukwu Ofuani.

Responding, P&G’s Managing Director, George Nassar thanked the envoy for the visit, adding that P&G Nigeria will continue to keep faith with its promise to be a trend-setter in its strive to improve Nigerians lives across the strata of the populace. He disclosed that the new multibillion naira manufacturing plant of P&G has not only created over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians, “the rippling effects of doors of opportunities that it has opened to Nigerian business and economy can only be imagined.”

Nassar who said P&G is proud to showcase the company’s newly commissioned state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to the US Government added that he hope the visit of the US envoy to the facility will further spur the US Government to play its interventionist role of relating with Nigerian governments to provide enabling infrastructural environment for American businesses to flourish in Nigeria.

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