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| From abandoned forest to supermarket shelves, Enugu’s JV turns dead plantations into jobs and growth |
What used to be thick, abandoned forest in Enugu State is now producing palm oil for Nigerians.
Enugu United Palm Products Limited, UPPL, has started full commercial production and rolled out its first batch of palm oil to markets nationwide. The company also announced a new $2.2 million plan to build a refinery for vegetable oil and other palm products. UPPL is a joint venture between Pragmatic Palms Limited and the Enugu State Government.
The Managing Director, Prof. George Nwangwu, disclosed this on Monday during a visit to Governor Peter Mbah at Government House, Enugu, where he gave an update on the company’s progress since operations began two years ago.
According to Nwangwu, UPPL took over three plantations that had been left to rot for years: Ibite-Olo in Ezeagu, Umulokpa in Uzo-Uwani, and Ugwu-Oba in Oji River.
“When we took over, the place was thick forest and nothing but a dead place,” he told the governor. “We came in and turned the place from forest into plantation.”
The team cleared the land, pruned old trees, and began fresh planting. Many of the palm trees they met were over 50 years old and had to be replaced. So far, the company has replanted more than 1,000 hectares and plans to continue until the entire plantation is renewed.
But UPPL is not stopping at growing palm fruit. The company has already installed mills to improve both the quality and quantity of its palm oil, and is now pushing further into processing. That expansion is backed by the new $2.2 million investment which will fund a refinery to process crude palm oil into olein, stearin, and refined palm kernel oil. A new industrial complex is also planned to bring all production and processing activities under one roof.
In the meantime, UPPL’s palm oil brand, EVOP, is already on shelves in open markets and supermarkets across Nigeria. Sachet packaging is also expected to launch within the next two weeks to make the product more affordable for everyday households.
The name is a deliberate tribute to the past. “Some of us who are old enough would remember AVOP vegetable oil being bottled in Nachi, Udi,” Nwangwu said. “We feel that this is the product of our people and we had to connect with our historical beginnings.”
Another point of pride for the company is transparency. Nwangwu said every step of the process happens in-house.
“You can see the trees there. If you go there, you can see where we harvest the fruit bunches, how we mill the fresh fruit bunches and how we package them,” he explained.
The company has also secured certification from NAFDAC, SON, and other regulatory bodies. To further build trust, each EVOP bottle carries a code that buyers can scan to trace the product back to the farm.
Governor Mbah described the UPPL partnership as a model for reviving dormant government assets for public benefit.
“We are talking about an investment outlay of over N100 billion, and if in four years you are targeting going to the market, we are with you on that. We will give you all support,” he said.
To support the project, the governor announced two major road projects, including the Umumba Ndiagu to Ebenebe road, to improve access to the plantations. He also directed that the headquarters of the state Forest Guards be sited at Ibite-Olo to strengthen security, and promised to tackle any encroachment on company land.
Mbah further assured UPPL that government would provide the agreed 6,700 hectares, and would help secure additional land if the company decides to expand to 10,000 hectares. He urged the company to maintain transparent financial records ahead of its planned listing on the Nigerian stock market in four years, and said government would hold regular meetings with UPPL to resolve any challenges quickly.
For Enugu State, UPPL’s journey means more than bottled oil. It represents jobs, food security, and revenue from assets that were once abandoned.
From a dead forest two years ago to EVOP palm oil on supermarket shelves today, the project is shaping up to be one of Enugu’s biggest agribusiness success stories yet.