Vitafoam Nigeria unveils 8 new products, warns against hasty ratification of AfCFTA
Pioneer foam manufacturing company, Vitafoam Nigeria has launched eight innovative products into the Nigerian market and cautioned against hasty signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by the Federal Government.
The Group Managing Director, Vitafoam Nigeria, Taiwo Adeniyi who addressed the press during the launch in Lagos argued that so far Nigeria’s land borders remain porous, ratifying the continental trade deal will further frustrate ailing companies as all kinds of competitive products will cheaply find their ways to the economy, thus killing indigenous producers.
Crafters of AfCFTA said it aims at creating a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union, and the African Customs Union.
However, Adeniyi argued that manufacturers are not against the trade agreement as speculated, but insisted that adequate measures must be taken to monitor the borders so that Nigeria would not become a dumping ground for substandard products when the pact is eventually signed.
“At the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) level, what we are saying to government is that as far as this environment is concerned, we are not ready. Our boarders are so porous.”
Explain more on the products launch, he noted that all the eight new products were borne from Vitafoam’s culture of innovativeness, adding that product differentiation had become one of the hallmarks of the Group, which makes it difficult for anyone to clone its unique products.
The new products included Vita Pearl, a pillow that regulates temperature and draws moisture from body, assorted customised beds, sofas, trifold mat for leisure, reading chairs, three specialised mattresses – orthopedic and classic, and various polyurethane sandwich panel steel.
Continuing, Adeniyi averred that “For us in Vitafoam, we are very concerned about innovation. Our ability to research, develop and then end up in innovating different products that meet the customers’ needs gives us great satisfaction. This launch is long overdue because we have sneaked into the market a number of products, which were not particularly launched this way, and basically adding to the array of success stories of Vitafoam.”
