PRESIDENTIAL WELCOME: It was a special moment of elation as President Muhammadu Buhari exchanged pleasantries with Chief Eric Umeofia. President/CEO of Erisco Foods Limited at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, Abuja during the President’s hosting of the Nigeria’s business leaders during the breaking of the on-going Ramadan fast on Monday, June 27, 2016. President Buhari was obviously very excited to receive Chief Eric Umeofia, Nigeria’s leading “Buy made-in-Nigeria” campaigner and activist manufacturer.
Meanwhile, Chief Eric Umeofia , President/CEO of Erisco Foods Limited is set to receive the prestigious Year 2015 Zik Prize in Business Leadership. According to organisers of the Awards Chief Umeofia has been “Chosen for the award in recognition of your outstanding achievement as a foremost business leader and immense contributions to the development of Nigeria’s economy”.
News of the bestowal of the highly coveted Zik Prize Award on Chief Umeofia was conveyed in a letter signed by Senator (Prof.) Jubril Aminu CON, who is the Chairman of the Advisory of the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC). According to the letter, the Prize will be formally presented to Chief Eric Umeofia at a special award ceremony at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos on June 19, 2016.
It will be recalled that only recently Chief Umeofia received a special award from Her Excellency, the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic, Hajiya Aisha Muhammadu Buhari for Special Humanitarian Services rendered by Chief Eric Umeofia and his company, Erisco Foods Limited.
Also, earlier in the year, Chief Eric Umeofia received the award of 2015 Sun Manufacturer of the Year from the Sun Newspapers Limited. City People magazine also recently presented him with the award of 2015 Business Man Year. Chief Umeofia has received a lot of awards and laurels from many organisations across the country in recognition of his highly patriotic and outstanding contributions to food security and food safety in Nigeria.
Chief Eric Umeofia presides over activities at Erisco Foods Limited which produces food products of global-best standards with the flagship being its range of tomato products whose brand names include: Erisco Tomato Paste; Ric-Giko Tomato Paste and Nagiko Tomato Paste. Chief Umeofia has for over a year single-handedly canvassed for the sanitization of the Nigerian Food products industry, especially the tomato paste sector where NAFDAC has discovered that 91.1% of imported products are substandard and fake.
Chief Umeofia has, at the risk of his business and his life played a major activist role to ensure that relevant regulatory agencies enforce standards to ensure food safety and value for Nigerian consumers. His resolute and unflinching commitment to his chosen cause has been hailed by millions of informed Nigerians.
