U.S. Government and ReelFruit Celebrate Opening of Dried Fruit Processing Facility in Nigeria
Abeokuta, Ogun State, February 17, 2024 – Nature’s Bounty Health Products, trading as ReelFruit, in collaboration with the U.S. government, marked a significant milestone on Thursday with the inauguration of an 800-metric-tonne dried fruit processing facility in Ogun State, Nigeria.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) initiated its partnership with ReelFruit in 2021 under the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub project (Trade Hub). USAID granted ReelFruit a co-investment grant of $500,000 to revitalise the company’s supply chain, which had been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This partnership extended support to 355 smallholder farmer networks across eight Nigerian states—AAdamawa, Edo, Ekiti, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, and Oyo—bby offering training in good agronomic practices and directly procuring their fresh fruits. In tandem, ReelFruit injected $2 million sourced through a private equity fund to finalise the construction of the dried fruit processing factory, significantly expanding its production capacity.
During the inauguration ceremony held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday, Sara Werth, USAID Nigeria’s Deputy Mission Director, delivered remarks on behalf of the U.S. government. Werth emphasised the U.S. government’s long-standing commitment to fostering economic growth in Nigeria, particularly in the agriculture and agribusiness sectors.
“Our partnership and investment are part of a multifaceted strategy aimed at engaging government, the private sector, and communities to empower and enhance local capacities,” stated Werth.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially inaugurate the factory, ReelFruit CEO Affiong Williams expressed her pride in the achievement. Williams highlighted the significance of the event, describing it as a pivotal moment in the company’s history and a testament to Nigeria’s agricultural and manufacturing potential.
“Today marks a historic milestone for our company. We are excited to launch Nigeria’s largest dried fruit factory, reaffirming my steadfast belief in the agricultural and manufacturing opportunities in Nigeria. With increased production capacity, we aim to supply dried fruits nationwide and showcase ‘Made in Nigeria’ products to the global market, thereby creating numerous job opportunities and positively impacting farmers,” remarked Williams.
The collaboration between ReelFruit and USAID exemplifies the mutual commitment to bolstering agricultural productivity, promoting trade, and fostering economic development in Nigeria.
