Femi Ogbonnikan: British Battery Recycling Company: Another milestone in Ogun industrial growth

The initiative of the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to boost industrial growth by creating an enabling environment for local and direct foreign investments has recorded yet another significant milestone. Last week, the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr. Richard Montgomery, broke the good news of a new deal with the Ogun State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency (OgunInvest) to establish a five-million-dollar British battery recycling company in the State. When the company becomes operational, it will be the first of its kind in Africa, thus making the State the leader in battery recycling on the black continent.

For the benefit of the doubt, this is no longer in the realm of speculation. The deal has already been sealed, ready to berth with a loud thug. To be sure, it is not the governor that is talking here. It is the High Commissioner himself whose words carry the seal of the authorities of the United Kingdom.

Hear from the horse’s mouth: “My brief visit to this state is about the deal put together for recycling, which is moving out of Lagos State and establishing a new plant here for recycling e-waste. The OgunInvest and the Director General, Lands and Survey, are working to ensure the deal comes off the line. And I am glad to be here to join the final conversation. I think that will bring new technology and new jobs to the State.

“The battery company will be manufacturing in Ogun State. It will be the first of its kind in Africa, and we will make the State the leader in battery recycling in Africa.

“For the first time, it is now possible to recycle the cell back into chemical form in Africa and export the black mass, which contains the minerals inside the battery, to make new batteries.

This is by no means a significant achievement for the Abiodun administration which has committed itself to the objective of making the state the preferred destination of choice in Africa. It is one of the dividends of the collaborative efforts of the Special Adviser (SA) of the OgunInvest, and his counterpart (Director General) in the Bureau of Lands and Survey.

Montgomery confirmed this in his remarks, saying: “It is really exciting that we received support from Ogun Invest, and officials from the Bureau of Lands confirmed the Certificate of Occupancy (CoC). We can say that the investment will be about five million dollars, and we want Ogun State to be the place where this industry can grow.”

With the feat, the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun can now beat his chest to say that his aspiration to lead Ogun State to achieve its manifest destiny as a leading industrial hub in Nigeria and beyond is becoming a reality. The road may be long and the journey may be slow, but we will surely get there with the steady progress the administration is making towards achieving the overarching objective. All that is required is a clear vision and focused leadership as exemplified by the Governor.

As already stated inter alia, the vision of the Ogun State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency (OgunInvest) led by Prince Dapo Abiodun as its Chairman is to establish Ogun State as the industrial and logistics hub of Nigeria and the preferred investment destination in the West Africa sub-region. Its mission is to create an investor-friendly environment that attracts and retains domestic and international investments, thereby fostering economic growth. The same objective also informed the land reform initiative of the administration to ensure a seamless process of land acquisition by genuine investors, thus protecting them from extortion by Omo Onile (land grabbers).

The High Commissioner, looking into the future of the newfound partnership, said his country would like to participate in energy, technology, tertiary education, agricultural processing, and also explore how to find more United Kingdom-linked companies to invest in the State, adding that discussions are ongoing with the state team on how to proceed in the coming year.

He explained that the visit to the state was partly to review the progress being made in Ogun as the industrial hub of the nation and how the State had fared in the areas of infrastructure and creating a conducive environment for business to thrive.

The High Commissioner added that his country was not only interested in what the state had achieved in the last five years but was also trying to identify business opportunities for his government and his country’s companies to invest in.

He noted that the British International Investment, a financial development institution, had invested in one of the major cashew processing and export companies, adding that his country was ready to offer technical assistance to the state’s mass transit system, which is currently being test-run.

Governor Abiodun, in his response, assured the High Commissioner of the availability of a large expanse of land suitable for the cultivation of food and cash crops and also disclosed the presence of large deposits of limestone and other minerals in the State.

He said the state remained a conducive place to numerous manufacturing companies, boasting of the biggest industrial park as a result of the gas pipelines from the Niger Delta that criss-cross the length and breadth of the State.

Abiodun said he deliberately focused on the provision of road infrastructure and other amenities to attract more investments to the state. He added that the establishment of the Ministry of Transportation, the development of the Transportation Master Plan, and the building of a cargo airport were some of his takeaways from participating in a summit in the United Kingdom in 2020.

The governor, who acknowledged the relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, said the state had benefited from the training of its staff, especially those managing the State transport system.

“We are open for business. Our administration has made the environment attractive. We have reduced bureaucratic bottlenecks to the barest minimum. We have made land acquisition seamless for investors. We have grown our economy.

“Ogun State is effective and forward-thinking. I want to thank the High Commissioner for the support we have enjoyed from the British Foreign Office,” he said.

Earlier at a press conference, the Special Adviser/DDG of OgunInvest, Ms. Sola Arobieke, had hinted at the preparedness of the Ogun State government, through the State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency (Oguninvest), to collaborate with the Manufacturing Africa programme, an initiative of the UK government through its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at the British High Commission, and Hinckley E-Waste Recycling Ltd to boost manufacturing sector in the state.

She described the partnership as pivotal to the enhancement of the manufacturing sector and investor confidence in Ogun State as a leading industrial hub in the West Africa corridor.

She stressed the role of the Manufacturing Africa Programme in supporting industrial development and innovation across Africa, while also acknowledging the FCDO’s commitment to advancing manufacturing capabilities and promoting sustainable practices.

She expressed optimism that the proposed collaboration would leverage the FCDO’s expertise in market studies and corporate finance support to foster a robust manufacturing ecosystem in Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole.

According to her, Manufacturing Africa Programme’s involvement in this initiative underscores its dedication to enhancing Africa’s industrial sector, creating high-quality jobs, and driving technological advancements.

Speaking further, she described Hinckley E-Waste Recycling Ltd as a pioneering leader in electronic waste management, noting that the company specializes in the safe and efficient recycling of electronic waste, employing advanced technologies and sustainable practices to manage e-waste responsibly. She explained that the innovative approach would not only support environmental conservation but also promote best practices in electronic waste management across Nigeria.

Her words: “Hinckley Recycling became the first government-approved E-Waste recycler in Nigeria in 2016. The company is now expanding its operations to Ogun State with a groundbreaking project to establish the first lithium-ion and lead-acid battery recycling and treatment plant in Africa. This $5 million investment in the first year will utilize patented recycling technology and create 100 direct jobs. The project is supported by a market study and corporate finance assistance from Manufacturing Africa.”

“In line with our mandate to attract and facilitate new investments into Ogun State, OgunInvest is dedicated to enhancing the state’s economic growth and promoting it as the premier investment destination in Nigeria. The agency provides comprehensive support services to investors, offering a one-stop solution for investment facilitation. This includes assisting with initial inquiries, providing detailed information on investment opportunities, guiding investors through regulatory requirements, and offering aftercare services to ensure successful investment operations.”

According to Arobieke, the partnership will, among other things, promote economic growth and job creation, facilitate technological and knowledge transfer, enhance environmental and health protection, and strengthen investor confidence.

By projection, no less than 90,000 jobs will be created over the next seven years in Africa from foreign direct investment through FCDO’s Manufacturing Africa initiative. In the same way, the partnership with Hinckley will also directly result in the creation of 100 jobs through the establishment of the first lithium-ion and lead-acid battery recycling facility in Africa.

In terms of direct benefit, Ogun State’s industrial ecosystem will be elevated by access to the UK-patented battery recycling technology developed by Solveteq in collaboration with Imperial College London. This will establish the state as a technological leader in battery recycling across Africa.

By promoting sustainable e-waste recycling, Ogun State will mitigate environmental pollution and safeguard public health, particularly by preventing lead poisoning and child labour related to unsafe recycling practices.

Similarly, the partnership will showcase Ogun State as an investor-friendly region, solidifying its position as the preferred destination for industrial investments in Nigeria, among others.

All these align with the objective of the Ogun State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency (OgunInvest) to sustain the state as an investment destination of choice in Nigeria and beyond. Established by law in 2019 with Governor Dapo Abiodun as its Chairman, the idea behind OgunInvest is to foster stronger economic ties between Ogun State and international business communities, provide information on government support, inform investors about various policies, incentives, and other support services available to facilitate investment. Since the idea came into being, OgunInvest’s role has tremendously increased its visibility, awareness, and services among the global investment community.

In intent and purposes, the proposed recycling plan is a clear testament to the vision of the agency to firmly establish Ogun State as the industrial and logistics hub of Nigeria and the preferred investment destination in the region. It also affirms its mission to create an investor-friendly environment that attracts and retains domestic and international investments, fostering economic growth.

Ogbonnikan writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State capital

Femi Ogbonnikan: British Battery Recycling Company: Another milestone in Ogun industrial growth