pladis, a family company, committed to two hundred brands

TUESDAY AUGUST 2 2016-Ali Jaber, Managing Director of pladis Sub Saharan Africa, says extending operations to Nigeria when the country is facing turbulent times is a very strategic move

By CHARLES IKE-OKOH

What does your entry into the Nigerian market portend for employment in the country?

The Nigerian market is one of the biggest markets in Africa. If we want to be in Africa we must be in Nigeria, and that is the thinking of many other investors seeking opportunities in Africa.

Africa has the youngest population in the world, and the current trend indicates that this figure will double by 2045, according to an African Economic Outlook report. Of this, Nigeria will account for as much as 60 percent.

As a result of this, extending operations to Nigeria is a very strategic move and we are certain that on the long run, we will latch onto the full opportunities the market brings.

Household income in Nigeria is shrinking and consumers are increasingly phasing out goods and services that are not basic necessities in order to save more. What strategies do you have in place to ensure you attract demand for your products given that they are price elastic?

We believe the taste, quality and availability will aid our growth. We acknowledge the need to meet the evolving needs of the consumer.

Nigeria is a country of about 180 million people, so we must look at and understand how we can create an appealing range of products to them. We will use relevant innovation to suppress our production costs and to drive demand of our products.

How do you see Nigeria’s new foreign exchange rules aiding your business?

The policy is a good one and it certainly will have positive impacts for our business. It will enable us to plan short and long term activities, amid other upsides.

What is the single most significant risk you may face in this environment?

Our greatest challenge is inflation. It will impact all aspects of the economy and it will take time for the market to adapt. We believe this will have a short term impact on the business.

Talk us through your position on ethics and sustainability, what is your philosophy?

As a family company, committed to two hundred brands with hundreds of years churning high quality products, we are always reviewing our practices to make sure they are in line with the best practices in our industry.

We have several policies and codes which are put in place to promote ethical conducts within the business such as our code of behaviour, business ethics, codes of corporate governance and operation standard.

Let us talk about the outlook in your Nigeria arm of doing business. Are you bullish or courteous?

We believe in Nigeria and its potential and so we are planning for the long term to spur our brand to growth.

Let us talk about your corporate culture and the type of people you have and you hire?

Our recruitment is based on transparency, respect and trust. Our values guide us in our program called go-twenty-one which has being created to drive awareness, clarity and agility across our business.

Go-twenty-one is our road map to realize our central idea which is promising happiness to everyone in the world.

Your company already has some products in the market, which of them do you think is going to hit the market as it were and be very competitive?

We have two brands “Ombro and Mcvities” we believe in both of them in terms of quality and taste and we try to cover all social classes in the country. We believe Mcvities is our hero brand.

We have more than two thousand employees in the country and we want to grow the business globally we want many people not few even in such crisis we are focusing on recruiting local talents and we offer opportunities for training and development .

You have specific manufacturing plants across the country, do you intend to expand across the six regions of the country or you have a central manufacturing point?

Well we want to focus on central manufacturing on large scale and make more business but we are trying to supply through our route market across all Nigeria.

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