Indorama clears air on sale of fertilizer to Nigerian farmers

The Management of Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemicals (IEFCL) has said that all its domestic supplies to customers so far are in accordance with the approval of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Farm Input and Supply Services (FISS) department in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Refuting allegation that the company and another fertilizer firm are sabotaging the national economy and security through their export of fertilizers at the detriment of farmers in Nigeria, the company said that it had ensure flow of fertiliser to farmers in the country.

The company said in a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications, Dr Jossy Nkwocha, the that its world-class fertilizer plant built at a cost of $1.5 billion started pre-commissioning production only recently at only 75 per cent capacity, and in the past one month has been giving priority to the domestic market.

According to him, ‘”the plant is still awaiting official inauguration, adding that the company’s brand-new fertilizer plant has capacity for 1.5 metric tonnes of fertilizers per annum which is designed to serve Nigeria’s entire domestic requirement and the surplus is for export markets.

Nkwocha said that the company’s primary focus was to serve the interest of our domestic market and this we have been doing with great sense of responsibility and commitment to the Nigerian economy.

“It is also a matter of national pride that the surplus production would be exported to enable the generation of foreign exchange for the Country at this time of huge deficit of foreign exchange; as well as branding Nigeria’s global reputation as producer and exporter of petrochemicals and fertilizers, thereby encouraging more foreign investors to come and invest in Nigeria,” he added.

Nkwocha stated that IEFCL has been loading and distributing an average of between 90 – 100 long trailers of fertilizers, each carrying 600 bags of 50kg each, totaling over 57,000 bags of Indorama Urea fertilizer daily over the past one month for the benefit of Nigerian farmers across the country.

He added that Indorama-Nigeria is 100 percent committed to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy; and has in the past ten years demonstrated such total commitment and loyalty by providing more than 85 per cent domestic needs of polymers which were hitherto imported into the country at huge foreign exchange cost.”

He said as a responsible corporate organisation, it was constrained to state the facts for the benefit of the Office of the NSA, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the international partners, other critical Stakeholders and the general public.

“The publications further mentioned an unnamed organisation involved in commercial explosives and accessories whose activities were sabotaging national security.

“This mix-up has caused great embarrassment and distress to our company, which over the past ten years has the unblemished reputation of adding great value to the Nigerian economy and society,” he said.

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