Eye Witness: Tomato, Onions, Toothpick and Akwa Ibom's Pencil Factory
I had just disembarked from my flight from Lagos and I usually love to
take in my environment. It was my second time ever in Uyo.
As we drove
from the airport on Wednesday to Uyo Township, one billboard to my right
caught my attention.
It was about the opening of a toothpick and pencil
factory. I just took it in my stride. Uyo was still as neat as the last
time I was there. Well laid out roads and tarred even to inner streets.
I regaled my colleague with information on my previous trip and how I
felt so much at home in Uyo. I shared the story of my wonderful
experience with Diamond Akpanika and his beautiful family.
The taxi
driver we picked up at the airport also told me his people love the
Yorubas-especially if they're from Ogun, Ondo and Lagos States. I
chuckled. Uyo taxi drivers are very neat and smart. The people are very
warm and hospitable.
As soon as I checked into my hotel, I
checked Facebook on my phone and the first thing I saw was a post by
Borono Bassey on the pencil factory in Akwa Ibom. I remembered I saw a
billboard around the airport advertising same.
A coincidence? I decided
to send a message to Borono on Facebook. I'd never met him but he was my
friend on the social media platform.
I wanted to see if I could gain
access to the pencil factory to see things for myself. Almost
immediately, he responded and promised to facilitate my access.
Yesterday, after my business meeting which was the core purpose for
visiting Uyo, I met up with Borono Bassey as I had some time to spare
before my flight back to Lagos.
Bassey and I hugged like long
lost friends. It was our first time of meeting physically. He told me
how he has been following me for some time. Bassey is such a good fellow
and his goodness radiated from his demeanor.
How come Akwa Ibom has
such a great cluster of good people? He took my colleague and I to the
house of Engr Ufot Ebong, the Special Assistant to Governor Udom
Emmanuel on Technical Matters and Due Process. He is also the
Coordinator of Akwa Ibom Enterprise and Employment Scheme (AKEES).
Engr Ebong is very knowledgeable. For the first time, I was impressed
with someone who assists or advises any Governor-and I've met many of
them.
He reeled out statistics with ease. He sounded like someone on top
of his job. He was very engaging and responded as I threw question
after question to him.
He was open. He told me the concept of AKEES and
how Akwa Ibom State Government has created hubs around the State to
facilitate development and growth. I was particularly fascinated about
the concept of SHARED AND COMMON FACILITIES.
He explained that several
small industries are located in the same place and share common
facilities- the same power, multiple equipments and other co-location
benefits.
In essence, the average cost of doing business to a budding
entrepreneur will come down drastically due to this shared facilities
idea.
Just imagine a common facility for tailors! Each tailor does not
have to buy a sewing machine, overlocking machine, stoning machine,
button-hole machine among others. These equipments are provided in
multiples and each tailor can take their turn to use them. Wow!
Engr Ebong shared with me how both the pencil factory and the toothpick
factory share the same facility. The pencils are made from recycled
newspaper and are environmental friendly- there is no cutting down of
trees.
They also use the slip-free technology which is the first in
Africa. I listened intently as he told me how the cost of old
newspapers has gone up because of the demand.
He told me the country
spends N750b annually on importation of pencils and $18m on the
importation of toothpick.
He explained how they use bamboo for the
production of toothpicks, how the pencil factory produces about 12
different brands and 180,000 pencils per day.
The toothpick factory
produces 80kg per day. The factory was opened in November 2016- just a
few months ago.
As I asked him several questions, he shared the
stories of News Slide, Sunick Clothiers and Wax Up- three micro
enterprises that is one of the 85 success stories since the advent of
AKEES.
I was fascinated by the story of Wax Up which is just a shoe
shining business that now has signed on about 100,000 clients at N3,000
each per client.
I read up on Sunick and learnt that the company has
been contracted to provide jerseys for the football team Akwa United.
And then, our discussions veered into agriculture. I was told that 22
different vegetables are now being grown in Akwa Ibom. Inwardly, I
chuckled. I know politicians have a way of embellishing every
information.
But when he mentioned that they grow onions, he must have
seen the look of disbelief on my face. He told me there are several
farms located around Akwa Ibom and asked me to come along to a
demonstration farm to see for myself. By that time, it had started
drizzling but I was very curious.
In spite of the light showers of rain,
we went around several sections of different farms scattered around the
area. I saw a tomato farm that had already fruited. I even plucked a
tomato.
Together with the tomato farm were about two fish ponds that
contained 6,000 units of catfish. He explained that the water from the
catfish is used in irrigation farming for the tomatoes.
I saw an onion
farm. Engr Ebong uprooted one for me just to be sure. I saw a cabbage
farm. Overall, there are 8 hectares of cabbage farms and 40 hectares of
tomato farms all over Akwa Ibom.
He mentioned that Akwa Ibom consumes
about N1.3b of tomatoes monthly. That is about 2,800 metric tonnes. To
him, there is no reason why Akwa Ibom cannot grow their own vegetables.
One other fascinating issue was the workers on the farms. I was told
they protect the farms because they will share 10% of the profit apart
from their wages.
When I asked him how much the government had
spent on the agricultural revolution, his response shocked me. It was
nothing.
What the government does is to marry land owners with the
owners of farm inputs and machineries and they can work out a
profit-sharing arrangement after harvest. He stated that so many fallow
land owners have keyed into the scheme.
I had heard enough. I
wanted to see the pencil and toothpick factory myself. Engr Ebong called
the General Manager of the factory to grant us access.
After we drove
for almost an hour, we got to the factory. I actually saw a group of
Science Teachers who came for an excursion to the factory. Both the
toothpick and pencil factory are under the same roof.
I went through the
various sections as I saw pencils of various brands being manufactured.
I watched as the slip-free technology was demonstrated.
I saw how they
wrapped the old newspapers around the graphites. I saw how erasers were
fixed at one end and how the pencils are cut to shape.
I was shown how
they can customize the pencils for different companies and events. The
only downside for me was that the graphites and erasers were still
imported content.
Can't we make erasers in Nigeria? I went through the
toothpick section and observed how bamboo is turned to toothpick. I took
a few pictures and had to leave to catch my flight.
My take-aways:
1. Akwa Ibom has made progress and built on the achievements of the
last government. This is the first working pencil and toothpick factory
in Nigeria.
They need to go a step further by ensuring the factory is
run commercially with no involvement from politicians. The government
should just continue to ensure an enabling environment for these kind of
businesses.
2. There should be a projection of when 100% local content will be achieved on the pencil factory.
3. I don't know what they discuss at the Nigeria Governors Forum but
these kind of ideas need to be shared among the Governors.
The idea of
common shared facilities will spur a phenomenal growth across all the
states. I can imagine a shared facility for ICT and the impact on
innovation.
I've often wondered why Governors need to travel abroad to
look for investors when they can cross fertilize ideas with their peers
and adopt best practices.
4. Can states begin to seriously
explore handshake across various areas? For instance, graphite is
present in Kaduna and Kogi States. It's just like the idea of Lagos and
Kebbi rice. We need more of this kind of collaboration.
4. Akwa
Ibom Government needs to let the citizens understand what it is doing
and the far reaching impact on the future of the State. There is an
obvious communication gap.
5. States need to consider this kind
of empowerment scheme- not one where stipends are given out to
unemployed citizens who will still continue to look for employment from
the government.
But one where citizens are actually empowered through
the provision of facilities and an enabling environment to take control
of their future.
6. I do not hesitate to add that South West
states are living in past glory. While we have remained stagnant and
even regressed, others are catching up on us. Apart from Lagos, there is
dearth of ideas everywhere.
Very soon, the pencils and toothpick from
Akwa Ibom will flood everywhere. What are you sending back in return?
7. Before someone comes to say I'm celebrating mediocrity in the form
of pencils and toothpicks, let me say that I am celebrating baby steps
but sure steps. I am celebrating hope. I am celebrating new ideas and
concepts.
No one has asked for rocket science technology but if we can
produce the everyday basic things that we use, we can get ready for a
greater phase.
The Akwa Ibom story needs to be told very well.
Thank you, Borono Bassey.
Dakkada!
Bayo Adeyinka
26/05/2017
26/05/2017
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