OKOMU OIL PALM PLC Company Profile

OKOMU OIL PALM PLC

The Okomu Oil Palm Company was established in 1976 as a Federal Government pilot project aimed at rehabilitating oil palm production in Nigeria. At inception, the pilot project covered a surveyed area of 15,580 hectares out of which 12,500 hectares could be planted with oil palm. It was incorporated on December 3, 1979 as a Limited Liability Company.
 
As part of the efforts to shore up its revenue base, the Company acquired and installed a 1.5 T/h Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) mill in 1985 to begin processing its FFB. Prior to the installation of the mill, the Company derived its revenue from the sale of FFB.
 
By December 31, 1989, 5055 hectares of the estate had been planted. The Company also began infrastructural developments on the estate at that period. The facilities included office blocks, workshops/stores, staff quarters, a petrol station, a powerhouse and a primary school for children of the Company’s staff members.
 
In 1990, the Technical Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation (TCPC) privatized the Okomu Oil Palm Company on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
 
It has since grown to become Nigeria’s leading oil palm Company with a total area of 33,113 HA of which 19,061 HA is currently planted with oil palm trees and 7335 HA with rubber trees. Currently, the Company operates two 30 T/h oil mills and another two 30 T/h oil mills are planned to be operating by June 2021 and June 2022 respectively.
 
The privatization of the Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc has been a great success and a huge encouragement for the Nigerian agricultural sector, with profound positive consequences of stable socio-economic growth for the region where it is implanted. The success of the Company was further exemplified by the strong increase of its net income, which allowed doubling of its dividend. This Company has consistently posted profits in the last 10 years, a period during which most other agricultural initiatives in the Country had either folded up or were performing sub-optimally.
 
What is most inspiring is not just the growth and profitability of the Company but the fact that The Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc is the only agro-business in the NSE’s top 16 Companies with the largest turnovers. Today, what is now known as The Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc has transformed into an economic success, earning presidential commendations.
 
The excellent quality of oil produced by Okomu has guaranteed a premium selling price on the local market, which absorbs the whole production.
 
Just as its expanding in size, its corporate environment is also expanding. Currently, 4572 people are directly and indirectly employed by the Company (permanent and several independent sub-contractors). All these have added up to place it on top in the burgeoning oil palm business and to position it as an emerging leader in rubber production.
 
Okomu benefits from the quality management provided by its main shareholders and technical partner (Socfinaf). With 64.97% shares in Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Socfinaf is the biggest single shareholder in the Company. Socfinaf brings into Okomu Oil Palm Plc a little under a Century of sound acclaimed technical expertise in the world stage. Socfinaf (Luxemburg), is a global player in the cultivation of Oil Palm and rubber tree plantations. Socfinaf S. A. founded in 1912 was the first industrial Company to plant Oil Palm in Africa and Indonesia. It has ongoing plantation operations in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Cambodia and Indonesia.
 
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gbenga Oyebode MFR - CHAIRMAN
Graham Hefer - MANAGING DIRECTOR
Arnaud Arhainx - FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
Hubert Fabri - NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
David U. EdebiriDEBIR - NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Luc Boedt- NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Peter Eguasa (JP) - NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Philippe DE Traux DE Wardi - NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Regis Helsmoortel - NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Asue Ighodaro - INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
Sven Claeys - NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
 
 
AWARDS
2012 – Award; for outstanding company in agricultural sector  - given by chartered institute of stock brokers
2014 – Award; for outstanding performance in CRS – given by organizers of Nigerian agricultural award:
2015 – Achievers in agriculture – given by orginsers of Nigerian agricultural awards.