By Isaac Mission 

Enugu United Palm Products Limited (UPPL), a public-private partnership involving Pragmatic Palms Limited and the Enugu State Government, has commenced commercial production of palm oil for the Nigerian market.

The company’s Managing Director, George Nwangwu, disclosed this on Monday when he led members of the firm’s board and management on a visit to Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah at the Government House.

Nwangwu said the visit was aimed at updating the governor on the company’s progress since commencing operations about two years ago.

He revealed that UPPL was already planning further expansion, including the production of refined palm oil products and the development of a new industrial complex.

According to him, the company has introduced its palm oil brand, Enugu Vegetable Oil Product (EVOP), which is currently being sold in markets and supermarkets across Nigeria.

He added that the company would introduce EVOP in sachet packaging within the next two weeks as part of efforts to make the product more accessible to consumers.

Nwangwu explained that the EVOP name was deliberately chosen to preserve the historical connection between the company and Enugu’s agricultural and industrial heritage.

He recalled that the region was previously associated with the AVOP vegetable oil brand produced in Nachi, Udi Local Government Area, saying the new product was intended to revive that connection with the past.

He said UPPL was focused on producing quality palm oil through natural processes while ensuring that its products could be properly traced from production to the final consumer.

The managing director also disclosed that the company was investing $2.2 million in a refinery that would process crude palm oil into olein and stearin, in addition to refining palm kernel oil.

He said the expansion would create more employment opportunities, stimulate economic activity and strengthen Enugu’s agricultural value chain.

Responding, Governor Mbah described the partnership between the state government and Pragmatic Palms as an example of how dormant public assets could be transformed into productive ventures.

The governor assured UPPL of the state government’s continued support and commitment to meeting its obligations under the partnership.

Mbah said the government would provide the necessary backing to help the company expand its operations and realise its full potential.

The development marks another step in efforts to strengthen palm oil production, industrial processing and private-sector participation in Enugu State’s agricultural economy.