Aduragbemi Omiyale
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The growing demand for quality, healthy and affordable locally-made and nutrient-rich food products has forced Friska Farms Limited to open a new factory.
A statement from the company’s representatives disclosed that the new production plant is located in Ayegbami, Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State.
Friska Farms is a leading producer of wellness teas and infant cereals and the new facility, launched on Thursday, August 5, 2021, is positioned to enable local consumers to access affordable, nutritious health foods such as the Friska brands of wellness teas and baby cereals.
This scaled investment is expected to have a wider positive impact on the wellbeing of the teeming national population as the sprawling demand for healthy foods is further driving up investment at the production level of the value chain.
Speaking at the unveiling of the new factory, which was attended by community leaders and stakeholders, the chief executive of Friska Farms, Mr Usman Imanah, stated that, “Success for us goes beyond profit-making, success is being able to fill a need and impact the lives of the people around you.
“For us, it is about building a sustainable business that serves a higher need. And to do this, we realized that we will have had to review our positioning.
“We had always championed health and wellness through natural nutrition but recently, we have had to incorporate affordable to the mix. We want to serve a larger part of the society that have been underserved.
“We currently have six products within two categories but with the launch of the factory, we will be rolling out about nine more products this year.”
On her part, a nutritionist and representative of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, Mrs Abimbola Muyide-Olukoya, stated that, “We can testify to the efficacy of Friska products.
“The company has been very supportive of our nutritional program for malnourished children.
“In the last four months, they have consistently seen significant improvement from children placed on the baby cereal and also on patients placed on the anti-diabetic tea.
“We believe that this factory will accelerate the growth of the business and will ultimately be beneficial to the nation.”
Recounting how he started the business, Mr Imanah Friska Farms began its journey to greatness from a 3-bedroom apartment, explaining that through a dint of hard work, a commitment to excellence and consumer-centred product research and development strategies and an inclusive product pricing framework, the business has expanded into a multi-million-naira behemoth that keeps delighting dealers, distributors and end consumers.
He said the recent product launch and modification efforts carried out in the infant food segment by the firm was strategically targeted at repositioning the segment brand products to meet growing market aspirations in line with prevailing socio-economic realities.
The food expert said as part of efforts to give back to the host communities, the organisation has constructed valuable social amenities such as boreholes in the current host community to deliver clean, safe drinkable water for the consumption of residents.
