Nigeria’s pioneer Pencil factory completed, awaits commissioning in Akwa Ibom
In a show of what can be described as backward integration in production of essential educational materials, all is set by the Akwa Ibom State government to commission first pencil factory in the country.
Business hilights gathered that the remodeled factory had been producing tooth pick and it is a wholly-owned entity of Akwa Ibom State government floated in 2015 under the Akwa Ibom Enterprises and Employment Scheme (AKEES).
Coming as an initiative aimed at re-awakening the spirit of enterprise among Akwa Ibom youths and position them to benefit from the industrialisation programme of the state government, the Administrative and Utility Manager of the factory, Miss. Nsisiong Umoh in a statement said though the factory is currently on a test run with a staff strength of over 60, all drawn from AKEES database, it has been producing for two months now.
She added further that the factory produces about 4000/5000 pencils daily, 25000 weekly and 100,000 per month, hinting that all is set for the factory’s production capacity to jump when commissioned later in the year.
She added that the company had been trying to saturate the Nigerian market since it started test runs, disclosing that there are fresh plans to expand production lines to include other related products including pen, matches and sagged bag factories within the premises.
The Coordinator of AKEES, Elder Ufot Ebong who also is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Technical Mattes and Due Process noted that the pencil and tooth pick factory has received orders from the Sokoto State government to supply 1444,000 pencils every three months.
