By Built In A Pandemic: Kimberly-Clark Opens New Million Dollars Manufacturing Plant In Ikorodu
It was a beehive of activities yesterday as Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos State welcomed the presence of the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other dignitaries to the commissioning of Kimberly Clark’s manufacturing plant at the Odogunyan Industry Estate, Ikorodu.
The company known for producing Huggies diapers, wipes and sanitary pads for Children and women put up the $100 million manufacturing plant at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Kimberly-Clark, Middle East & Africa, Fernando Baticon said that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the organization was not deterred from building the facility. He added that the youth constitute 80 per cent of the personnel hired to work in the organization.
Also speaking on how the construction of the facility was achieved during the pandemic, General Manager, Kimberly Clark SSA-West, Vani Malik, commended the strong support extended to the company by respective agencies of government during the construction of the facility.
She said the facility is part of Kimberly Clark’s commitment to supporting girls, young women and babies, particularly with the distribution of 1.5m sanitary pads and diapers in the last 2 years to girls in secondary schools across Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, member House of Representatives, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon Babajimi Benson said the company has committed over a million dollars to invest in Nigeria and created thousands of employment for the good people of Ikorodu.
Hon. Benson, while urging the company to maintain the standard which it is known for, added that siting the factory in Ikorodu has also added over a thousand direct and indirect jobs in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the governor of Lagos State promised to commit over a billion naira in addition to the federal government’s 1.5billion counterpart funding to construct the roads leading to Odogunyan Industrial estate, the largest industrial estate in West Africa.
The highlight of the Commissioning was the unveiling of the industrial plant by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Taline, Hon. Babajimi Benson, Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Shotobi, amongst others
