Crusoe Osagie
Nigerite, a leading building material manufacturing company, has restated its commitment to the development of only legitimate business in the country insisting that it has never engaged in the importation of any contraband items.
The company dissociated itself in strong terms from the substance suspected to be cocaine that was reportedly found in one of the containers in which its imported raw materials were recently shipped from New Zealand to Lagos.
In a statement signed by its Marketing Communications and Research Manager, Victor Jolaoso, which the company issued following the discovery and disclosure of the contraband by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the company categorically stated that it was not involved in the packing and containerisation of the goods, and had absolutely nothing to do with the trafficking of cocaine, which is neither a raw material requirement for its operations nor part of its production processes.
Nigerite however expressed its readiness to cooperate fully with the police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (“NDLEA”) in investigating this case, asking the media to let the Police and NDLEA conduct their investigations, while expressing confidence that the outcome of the investigation will completely vindicate Nigerite.
The company noted that it has kept the leadership in the Nigerian market as the largest organisation in West Africa that engaged in manufacturing, marketing and installation of Kalsi Building boards and other fibre-cement ceiling and roofing products. The philosophy of the company has always been focused on excellent products, service and innovation to meet customer´s needs.
The statement stressed that Nigerite, a highly compliant and respected company that counts Odu’a Investment Company Limited and reputable international companies among its shareholders, has been operating in Nigeria for over 57 years and that during this period it had complied strictly with Nigerian laws and regulations.
Nigerite’s foreign partner, Etex, is an international group based in Belgium, manufacturing and marketing high quality materials with extreme integrity for more than 105 years, with over 18,000 dedicated people and presence in more than 40 countries across all continents.
It reiterated its track record of good corporate citizenship which has earned it a fast track status from the custom service, adding that all its products and operations were certified by all relevant regulatory authorities, both at state and federal levels, including Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), FEPA, LASEPA amongst others; and that over the years both its products and production processes, especially their environment friendliness had received deserved commendations and attestations by those authorities, aside winning numerous local and regional awards of excellence.
