The Management of Berger Paints PLC has said that it is in the final stage of factory acceptance testing to its fully automated water-based paint factory which the manufacturers will handover in December.
Chairman of the company, Mr. Abi Ayida made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja when he led members of the Board and Management team on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo.
He told the minister that the plant which represents a N2 billion investment would help create jobs for Nigerians, strengthen the Naira and sustain the local paint market.
The Chairman described the project to be formally commissioned in Q1 2020 by Adebayo as first of its kind in Sub-Sahara Africa, as it conforms with international standards.
“The Company is on the cusp of a major revolution in the paint industry as it commissions a fully automated Water-Based Paint factory”.
“The Plant has adequate capacity for large volume production with derived benefits of increasing local capacity thereby reducing importation of finished products and consequently strengthening the Naira.
“The new fully automated factory is expected to activate the industrialization era of the paint sector in Nigeria as this will be the trend going forward,” he said.
Ayida, however, called for improved access to forex for raw materials, which according to him account for about 80% of the industry’s inputs.
He said “Government should consider including paint raw materials as part of items on priority list for forex access.”
He equally called for the promotion of paint technology in the nation’s tertiary institutions by including such in school curriculum, and deepen local expertise.
In his remark, the Minister appreciated the visit of the team and pledged the Federal Government’s support for its investment drives.
“One of my mandates here following my appointment by President Mohammadu Buhari is to support private sector industrial growth.
” We are proud of what your Management is doing and we are ready to support you.
“I am not unaware of some of the challenges facing the paint industry in Nigeria. But we are working round the clock to address them.
” To create jobs, eradicate and take ten million Nigerians out of poverty, we are looking at industrialization and agriculture” he said.
The Company which has 100% indigenous ownership commenced operations in Nigeria in January 1959.
