Chairman of Sigma Coatings Nigeria Limited, Robert Agbede, has appealed to the government to urgently address the issue of product adulteration in Nigeria due to its health and economic consequences.

Agbede made the call while speaking at the commissioning of the new facility at Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

According to Agbede, addressing product adulteration would strengthen consumer confidence and foster economic stability.

On the new facility, he said: “In the past, we used to ship most of our products from Lagos, where our factory is located, for over 20 years. But we see the need to be closer to our customers.

“The opening of Port Harcourt facility is a statement of the company’s commitment to excellence and long-term collaboration, and we intend to establish additional distribution centres in key strategic locations across the country.

“Our physical presence here implies guarding against imitation and adulteration, and subsequently we intend to have a full production here for the South/South not less than what we have in Lagos and any other places where we have our branches, so that our customers can enjoy premium quality”.

As a way of giving back to the community, Agbede affirmed that a Foundation was launched earlier this year as a way of investing in Nigerian universities.
This is part of our goals to do in the near future in this community, where we can produce plans that are underway.’’

He explained: “Sigma Coatings Ltd is a manufacturer of protective and marine coatings for over 20 years, and the new facility here in Port Harcourt is a celebration of another milestone in its journey of producing cutting-edge products and services.’’

Agbede, who had spent many years in the United States, recalled how he was invited to be part of PPG, where he started as a minority shareholder and became a 100 per cent shareholder over time.

Explaining further, he said: “Ever since I have invited many other Nigerians to join. In other words, I have fully invested in this region and I would like to see the region thrive.”

On the other hand, Agbede appealed to the government to provide maximum security in the region.

On her part, the Executive Assistant to the Chairman and Lead for Special Projects, Sigma Coatings Nigeria Ltd., Oluwaseyi Ajai, affirmed that the new facility is a demonstration of the company’s commitment to the region, where they get about 80 per cent of their customers.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman, Walter Smith Group, Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa, commended the chairman of Sigma Coatings Nigeria Limited, Agbede, describing him as someone committed to growing the Nigerian economy.

“After having lived and invested in the U.S for several years, he is committed to the development of the energy sector, and this will add to the development content of this country”, Isa stated.