Nigerian babies start their lives on P&G products - US Envoy, Jeffrey Hawkins

US Envoy, Jeffrey Hawkins

The United States Consul General to Nigeria, Jeffrey Hawkins, has said that Nigerian babies start their lives on a comfortable note because they are weaned on products of Procter & Gamble (P&G), particularly the company’s range of quality diapers and other global renowned baby care products.

The US envoy stated this while touring the multi-billion naira manufacturing plant of P&G Nigeria Limited in Agbara Industrial Estate, Ado-Odo, Ota, Ogun State of Nigeria.

According to Consular-General Hawkins, the importance of diapers cannot be overemphasized while raising babies. “I am a father myself, I know what it means to raise babies, so I know the importance of diapers and other baby care products” he said adding that “Procter & Gamble in particular very much understood the importance of establishing relationship with the customer early in life. Anyway, for a company with wide products range like procter & Gamble, they understood that they need a relationship that will go a whole lifetime with the customer. And Procter & Gamble also understands that if you provide quality products at quality prices, you can keep that customer throughout his/her lifetime. It means that almost every Nigerian baby are already Procter & Gamble customers,” he said.

Hawkins who disclosed that his visit is in furtherance of the objectives of the recent visit to Nigeria by Secretary of Commerce of United States, Ms. Penny Pritzker further disclosed that his country’s government have initiative policies and programmes targeted as encouraging and increasing investments by US companies in the Nigerian economy.

“It is very clear that the United States is very much interested in Nigeria and the Nigerian market and economy as an investment destination. That’s why our government has been actively involved in driving more American investment in Nigeria. We continue to encourage American companies to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria and motivate existing American companies to increase their investments in the country.”

He singled P&G Nigeria Limited as an American company with confidence in the Nigerian economy and investment climate. “It is also quite clear that American businesses, particularly Procter & Gamble in this case, is quite interested in the Nigerian market. I believe this explains why the company decided to make Nigeria the hub of its business in this region,” said.

Hawkins who was accompanied on the visit by top US Embassy officials including the US Consulate Economic Officer, James Plasman and Economic Specialist, Mayowa Obilade hailed the leading fast moving consumer packaged goods (FMCG) giant (P&G) Nigeria Limited for sitting its multibillion naira new manufacturing plant in Nigeria, thereby making the country the hub of its manufacturing operations in the West Africa with capacity to service the entire sub-Saharan Africa growing markets.

Hawkins said he is satisfied with the growing interest of US businesses in the Nigerian investment climate adding that P&G has not only boosted the confidence of American investors in the Nigerian economy, but that the company is strategically leading the industrial revolution that Nigeria so much desires adding that it is also a confirmation of the renewed and reinvigorated of the United States of America’s interest in the Nigerian investment climate.

On hand to receive the US envoy were top management of P&G Nigeria led by the company’s Managing Director, George Nassar, Plant HR Manager, Akinkunle Akinpelu, SSA, GR Director, Temitope Iluyemi, Communications Director, Khulu Mabaso,. PS GR/SEC Manager, Olanlege Abdulfattah, Corp Communications Manager, Tomiwa Akande and Nigeria GR Manager Ikechukwu Ofuani.

Responding, P&G’s Managing Director, George Nassar thanked the envoy for the visit, adding that P&G Nigeria will continue to keep faith with its promise to be a trend-setter in its strive to improve Nigerians lives across the strata of the populace. He disclosed that the new multibillion naira manufacturing plant of P&G has not only created over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians, “the rippling effects of doors of opportunities that it has opened to Nigerian business and economy can only be imagined.”

Nassar who said P&G is proud to showcase the company’s newly commissioned state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to the US Government added that he hope the visit of the US envoy to the facility will further spur the US Government to play its interventionist role of relating with Nigerian governments to provide enabling infrastructural environment for American businesses to flourish in Nigeria.