When Governor Udom Emmanuel set out to lubricate the once virgin well of agriculture in Akwa Ibom State with the establishment of Africa’s biggest coconut oil refinery, most people had no idea of coconut’s enormous potentials. But the Governor went ahead, displaying his propensity to plan towards an economy beyond crude oil, as if he knew that a certain Coronavirus pandemic would soon bring the world on its knees.
The St. Gabriel Coconut Oil Factory located in Ikot Ekpuk, Mkpat Enin Local Government of the State is handled by VKS Nigeria Construction Limited. The factory which has a projected capacity of processing one million coconuts a day, will commence with a starting capacity of 300,000 coconuts daily. It was flagged off by Governor Emmanuel on May 24, 2017, as part of activities to mark his second year in Office. With a projection of being a future Nigeria might have to fall back on, the refinery project is visionary because of the multi-faceted use of the coconut. As Governor Emmanuel himself put it, the coconut has over 365 uses, implying that there is a different function for the coconut in each day of the year. In cosmetics products, automobiles industry, confectionery, physiotherapy, medicine and general catering, coconut asserts itself as the future the world had longed for.
In recent years, coconut oil has emerged as a potential ‘miracle’ food and source of revenue. Some health specialists and nutritionists have asserted that the coconut oil is capable of promoting health benefits, such as weight reduction, cholesterol lowering, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and anti-inflammatory effect, among others |>>>AKWA IBOM
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