Olam Agri celebrates 15 years of Crown Flour Mill integration

NIGERIA – Olam Agri has marked a significant milestone, celebrating 15 years since its acquisition of Crown Flour Mill (CFM) in Nigeria, a move that has since transformed the company into a dominant player in the country’s wheat milling and pasta manufacturing space.

Established in 1981, Crown Flour Mill was acquired by Olam Agri in 2010. What began with two manufacturing plants has evolved into a nationwide operation of nine plants producing flour, semolina and pasta.

Today, Olam Agri stands as Nigeria’s leading wheat miller and pasta manufacturer, and one of the most prominent names in Africa’s grain processing industry.

“This business gave me an invaluable career start,” shared Femi Koya, a long-serving employee who joined at the time of acquisition.

“They provide me with a platform to contribute to raising the national food security level, contributing meaningfully to the economy and feeding my family while growing my career at the same time. Congratulations to us.”

Underpinning its growth has been a combination of strategic investment, global sourcing expertise, and a robust logistics framework. However, beyond scale, the business has been deliberate in contributing to national food security and sector development.

 Olam Agri has installed Nigeria’s first advanced premix facility, established backward integration programs benefiting 500 local farmers, and partnered with leading research institutions, ICARDA, the Lake Chad Research Institute, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, to promote local wheat cultivation.

According to Nitin Mehta, Managing Director & Business Head of Olam Agri’s wheat milling and pasta division, the company’s achievements are tied to a bigger national purpose.

 “Our strong profile of achievements in less than two decades underlines our dedication to supporting the government’s New Hope Agenda for food security. The business growth under Olam Agri proves what’s possible with the right vision and investment,” he said.

The company’s efforts have garnered several national and industry recognitions, including the National Productivity Order of Merit Award from the Federal Government, the FMDQ Gold Award for operational excellence, and the Food Fortification Award for advancing the Micronutrient Fortification Index (MFI).

Additionally, Olam Agri was named “Employer of Choice” by the HR People Magazine Awards for fostering an inclusive and thriving workplace.

Femi Areo, a distributor, praised the company’s consistent delivery and channel support. “I have had the utmost joy in partnering with Olam Agri to distribute its products for these 15 years. It provides me with the right support by producing the best quality products, providing on-time delivery and retail channel value-added services that ensure I can deliver robust sales in our local marketplace.”

Anil Nair, Country Head for Olam Agri, reaffirmed the firm’s forward-looking strategy. “We are filled with optimism and excitement for the future. We have a clear vision of where we want the business to be within the next decade.”

According to him, the development of a 10-year roadmap for drought-resistant seed development to scale local wheat production proves their forward-thinking strategy.  

“With an extensive distribution network for staples and packaged foods across Nigeria, we continue to drive growth in local food production,” he said.

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