All is now set for the commissioning of the St. Gabriel Coconut Oil Factory in Mkpat Enin, Akwa Ibom State, following the successful test running of the factory.
The multi-billion naira value-chain facility which would create thousands of job opportunities for Akwa Ibom people wil be inaugurated on Friday by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo,SAN following its completion by the Turkish firm, VKS.
The factory is expected to employ over 3000 direct workers and has the capacity to crack 1,000,000 nuts a day.
The St. Gabriel’s Coconut Oil Factory Project, a major industrial investment by Akwa Ibom State Government comprises of a factory complex complete with administrative offices, production areas, technical spaces, industrial firefighting systems, water treatment plants, effluent treatment plants and residential quarters for technical and managerial staff as well as parking areas for several raw materials bearing vehicles.
The project is located in the serene environment of Ikot Akpan Okop village, along the East West Road in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area. The project execution was flagged off by Governor Udom Emmanuel during a ground-breaking ceremony on May 24th, 2017.
Recall that a whooping 2million fast yeilding hybrid coconut trees had been planted on an 11,000 hectare of land at the St Gabriel plantation in a swampland spanning Mkpat Enin, Ikot Abasi and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas. Similarly, the Government has ensured that coconuts are cultivated at Okobo, Okon -Eket and other locations in the State.
This makes it the largest coconut plantation in Africa, and the most ambitious coconut project in the world. All this is a conscious effort by the visionary leadership of Governor Udom Emmanuel to prepare Akwa Ibom State, which is Nigeria highest crude oil producing State from over reliance on petroleum.