Rite Foods New Slogan, Proudly-African, Shows Commitment to Expanding Across Nigerian Borders – Seleem Adegunwa, MD
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
The new slogan, Proudly-African, adopted by Rite Foods, Nigeria’s market leader in the food and beverage industry is the company’s strong commitment to expanding its products beyond the nation’s shores, to other African countries, as a world-class and global brand.
This was the position of the Company’s Managing Director, Mr Seleem Adegunwa, in a recent interview with a leading independent and international brand valuation consultancy publication.
Adegunwa, who has successfully steered the affairs of the leading company to enviable heights in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, affirmed that while Rite Foods started with the slogan, ‘Truly World-Class and Proudly Nigerian’, which describes the quality of what it was trying to achieve with a DNA and heritage that is completely Nigerian, the new twist shows that the brand is African based and therefore more Proudly-African.
He pointed out that the move is intentional as the company’s products are not limited to the country alone, but are also available in other African countries. “We have an indigenous brand that operates on the world-class stage, so these slogans are exactly what we are, but put into words, it shows our intention of expanding across Africa,” Adegunwa affirmed.
The company’s honcho avowed that the intention is also not to alienate other customers on the African continent. This, he said, is necessary for an award-winning company that is reputed for delivering unique products that are regarded as pacesetters in their various market segments. “The importance and value of working on them are to ensure that we are improving the brand equity, hence the need for appropriate slogans,” he averred.
Against that backdrop, Rite Foods’ boss posits that despite the stiff competition in the industry, the company’s product portfolio, comprising the 13 variants of the Bigi carbonated soft drink, the Bigi Table Water, the Fearless energy drink consisting of the Fearless Classic and Fearless Red Berry, the five variants of Sosa Fruit Drink as well as the Rite and Bigi Sausages, have continued to dictate the pace in the market, with their inventiveness which has earned them numerous laurels at various awards ceremonies.
He avowed that the high-quality of the company’s brands with their flavours stems from the continuous innovation adopted in the manufacturing processes which are carried out in a first-rate factory with up-to-the-minute technology and a skilled workforce.
According to him, research and development are of topmost priority for the company, having led to the production of unrivalled brands that are top-notched in the sector it operates. “We do it frequently with our partners and suppliers to attain the desired quality for consumers’ satisfaction.”
The company which is at the forefront of implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies for human and societal development, is currently partnering with quite a few organisations to support eco-friendly sustainability initiatives, especially in recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic collections and also in developing recycling plants in the country.
SPONSORED BY: H&H The survival of the 21st century Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, (MSME) has been said to largely depend on the adoption and adaptation of digital technologies, hence, the call on entrepreneurs by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), to embrace it to increase productivity and profitability of their businesses.
L-R: The CEO, Abuja Enterprise Agency, Mal. Shehu Abdulkadir and the representative of the NITDA Director General, Yakubu Musa, at the 10th Edition of Abuja Enterprise Agency 360 Business Clinics at Jayi District, Abuja.
The NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, expressed this view as a keynote speaker at the 10th edition of Abuja Enterprise Agency’s Business 360 Clinics with the theme “Technology Utilisation and Innovation: Its Effect on SME Profitability and Productivity.
The NITDA’s boss who was represented at the event by the Acting National Coordinator, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation,(ONDI), Mr Yakubu Musa, said the effective utilisation of technology by SMEs will result in improved efficiency, and invariably leads to higher productivity. So, productivity increases when SMEs focuses on progress, rather than perfection.
He maintained that there is a significant impact on the economic survival of the nation if technology is embraced.
He said, “Technology utilisation exerts a significant impact on the economic survival of nations, particularly, in today’s high-technology market where technological innovations are rapid and disruptive.
This has become the gains derived from the adoption and adaptation of existing technologies while also investing in the creation of new technologies to ensure sustained growth in Nigeria’s SMEs.
While acknowledging that technological progress allows for efficient production of superior goods and services by SME, Kashifu noted that it remains the drivers of global economic growth. ”They play a major role in the economies of all the countries in the world by their contribution to national economic growth and employment. SMEs contribute greatly to job creation and overall economic growth,” he added.
The DG informed that NITDA has undertaken several collaborative initiatives and programmes that are positively impacting on Nigeria’s SME.
He listed some of the collaborations to include partnership with Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), on Digital Marketing for SMEs, Gender Techpreneurship Workshop for Women, partnership with the AEA on Digital Innovation Training for 300 secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory, and many more.
Earlier in his welcome address, the AEA Chief Executive Officer, Malam Shehu Abdulquadir, described the theme as very apt because it hinged on technological adaptation towards the profitability of SMEs because the outbreak of COVID-19 has brought a lot of distribution which has made technological adaptation compelling.
He stated further that the program was aimed at supporting the recovery of SMEs from the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that, supporting SMEs after the pandemic would help them gain their traction back.
He revealed that the Agency has disbursed N200 million to 850 SMEs in Abuja and by next month, it is expected to disburse other tranches of 3.5 million USD to over 2,500 SMEs.
He said beneficiaries of the first tranches have retired the grant disbursed by the Agency from the World Bank assuring that “we are going to get more people from diverse stakeholders across all the six councils in the FCT to benefit from it.
The Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and other lawmakers-elect received their Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday promising to ensure a greater Lagos at the 10th Assembly.
“On behalf of my colleagues, we will continue to build on the success of the current Assembly when we resume for the 10th Assembly. We want to assure Lagosians that we will continue to make laws, pass motions and resolutions that will bring progress to Lagos and protect the interests of residents.
“That’s the assurance that I have from the 39 other members-elect,” Dr. Obasa told journalists at the event which had Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat in attendance.
A total of 38 lawmakers-elect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two from the opposition received their Certificate of Return.
The Speaker thanked his constituents in Agege and Lagosians for their support for the APC.
“I thank my people in Agege for their consistency, loyalty and support at all times. And to Lagosians, we say thank you. At least APC has 38 lawmakers-elect out of the 40 for the House of Assembly. We have the three senatorial seats and a whole lot in the House of Representatives. We are very happy about this and have reasons to thank Lagosians.
“We are going to support the Governor in his assignments to bring growth and progress to Lagos State as well as protect the lives and property of our people. However, supporting the executive arm does not mean we are going to compromise or abandon our constitutionally guaranteed responsibilities,” Obasa said.
He expressed optimism that Lagos will benefit from the centre in the next administration because “we have a President-elect that we all have absolute confidence in and who had done very well in Lagos State with good track record.
“We are sure that with him, many of our national challenges would be resolved because he has the capacity and knowledge to deliver. I have no doubt in my mind about it.”
The State Commandant, NSCDC, Lagos state Command, Commandant of Corps Usman Alfadarai, fdc, mnim, mpa, fisn, today, Thursday, 30th March, 2023, witnessed the issuance of certificate of return to the Governor – Elect, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo – Olu and the Deputy Governor – Elect, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hazmat, of Lagos State, from the Honourable Resident Electoral Commissioner, of the State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Yaba.
In addition, the members of the State House of Assembly also received their certificates of return today.
The event, which was also witnessed, by the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, mni, also had a lot of dignitaries from INEC and other relevant bodies, including visible media presence seen there today.