In yet another show of support for our communities, TGI CARES Foundation, our employee-led social welfare driver, has organised a charity drive for the less privileged in collaboration with DashMe Foundation.
DashMe Foundation, owned by a former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, was established to raise funds and resources for orphaned and vulnerable children, disadvantaged youth, and victims of domestic violence.
Across some of our subsidiaries in Lagos, including WACOT Ltd, ORC Fishing and Food Processing Ltd, TGI Distri, Cormart and Chi Pharma, we sought and put together donations in form of household items, electrical appliances, kitchenware, shoes and clothing items for the Foundation for charity sales, proceeds of which will be used to cater to the welfare of the less privileged.
Our TGI CARES Foundation will continue to collaborate with like-minded organisations as we reiterate our commitment to supporting our communities as best as we can. The TGI CARES X DashMe charity drive is yet another way we have chosen to demonstrate our commitment to this cause.
Receiving the items on behalf of DashMe Foundation, Tomisin Akinwunmi, Head of Operations applauded the donations and contributions of TGI Group’s employees while expressing gratitude and solicited support for future collaborations. DashMe Foundation’s goal of changing lives, one gift at a time, creatively raising funds through charity sales is in alignment with our desire to help the plight of the neediest particularly around our business communities.
The month of March has now come to be globally known and celebrated as Women’s month. It is an annual reminder of the achievements of history-making women across different cultures. From Science to Politics, it is an opportunity to reflect on the trailblazing achievements of women who created and continue to create a path for other women to thrive.
SIMONE BILES
The Greatest and Most Dominant Gymnast of all Time
Simone Biles is considered to be one of the greatest and most dominant gymnasts of all time with the most gold medals and female gymnast with the most all-round titles.
First African American gymnast to win a World medal on every event.
She is acclaimed as the most decorated gymnast of all time.
Five-time world all-round champion (2013-2015, 2018 and 2019).
Five-time world floor exercise champion (2013-2015, 2018 and 2019).
Seven-time United States National all-round champion (2013-2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021).
Member of the gold winning American teams at the 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019 world artistic gymnast championships.
First female gymnast since Daniela Silivas in 1988 to win a medal on every event at a single Olympic game or world championships.
Sixth woman to win an individual all-round title at both the world championships and Olympics and first gymnast since Lilia Podkyopayeva in 1996 to hold both titles simultaneously.
BENAZIR BHUTTO (June 21, 1953 – December 27, 2007)
First Woman to Head a Democratic Government in an Islamic Country
Benazir Bhutto has come to be known as a champion of democracy and an icon for women’s rights due to her political success in a male-dominated political environment.
What makes Benazir Bhutto so Special?
The first woman to head a democratic government in a Muslim dominated Country.
The 11th and 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996).
Although born into a wealthy aristocratic family, she always displayed leadership traits.
Schooled in two of the world’s Top 5 Universities – Oxford University and University of Harvard.
Co-chaired the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from the 1980s until her assassination in 2007.
Despite Islamist forces, she was unrelenting in her quest to reform Pakistan.
Bhutto and her mother, Nusrat, led the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Pakistan
She led the PPP for two terms. Her second term oversaw economic privatization and attempts to advance women’s rights.
TONI MORRISON (February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019)
First African American woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature
What Makes Toni Morrison so Special?
One of the most celebrated authors in the world.
Her novels have earned her countless prestigious awards including the Pulitzer Prize.
She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama of the USA in 2012.
Being the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Morrison’s work has inspired a generation of writers.
She became the first black female editor in fiction at Random House in New York City in the late 1960s.
In 1966, The National Endowment for Humanities selected her for the Jefferson Lecture – the USA federal government’s highest honor for achievement in the humanities.
In 2016, she received the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction in 2016
She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2020.
Every February 18th, the state of Ohio, her hometown, celebrates her tenacity as a literature icon. The day is designated to share her literary works with the world. Till this day, Toni Morrison is nationally recognized for her literary pieces particularly because hey addressed the harsh consequences of racism in the USA.
JACINDA ARDEN
World’s Youngest Female Head of Government
What makes Jacinda Arden so remarkable?
She is the world’s youngest female head of government – New Zealand.
She has won numerous notable positions in government – elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth in 2008; elected as a member of Parliament in the 2008 General Election; led her party to victory in the 2020 general elections.
Her government particularly focuses on the New Zealand Housing crisis, eradication of Child Poverty and seeks to promote social inequality in the country.
The 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand and Leader of Labour Party, the ruling party, since 2017
She has been globally praised as being proactive for how she handled and directed New Zealand’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.
Arden repeated history in the 2020 General Election, where she led her Party to Victory, gaining an overall majority of 65 seats in Parliament. This is the first time this has happened since the introduction of Proportional Representation in 1996.
OPRAH WINFREY
First Black Female Billionaire
What makes Oprah Winfrey so Remarkable?
The first black woman to anchor the nightly news program in Nashville, USA and the first black female billionaire.
She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.
Winfrey has won many accolades throughout her career which includes 18 Daytime Emmy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman’s Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award awarded by the Academy Awards and two additional Academy Award nominations.
Winfrey was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.
She was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama and received honorary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard University.
Winfrey gained recognition and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994. Dubbed the Queen of All Media, Winfrey was the richest African-American of the 20th Century, was once the world’s only black billionaire and regarded as the greatest black philanthropist in the history of the United States of America.
Our attention has been drawn to media reports emanating from purported documents allegedly submitted to the President by the Special Investigator probing the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria, where he linked our ownership of Titan Trust and Union Banks to former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele. We want to categorically state that some of the assumptions made in the purported document were incorrect, thereby resulting in a conclusion that may not necessarily reflect the actual reality. The true facts of the case are as follows:
Tropical General Investment Group (TGI) is the majority owner of Titan Trust and Union Banks. We have been doing business in Nigeria for close to 45 years and have evolved into one of the largest companies in West Africa.
Today, TGI employs over 20,000 people spread through the length and breadth of Nigeria. We have over ₦3.75trilllion in assets and as of 2022, our annual revenues stood at over ₦1.74 trillion. Our companies and entities are exemplary corporate citizens of Nigeria and pay over N50 billion annually in taxes to the government. The acquisition of Union Bank by Titan Trust Bank followed all the laid down rules and regulations. The approximately USD500 million capital used to pay for the transaction was transparent and unimpeachable. The entire transaction was managed by highly reputed global financial institutions including Rothschild and Citibank. And like most major acquisitions, the process took years to complete.
A USD 300 million loan was sourced from African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim) and the rest of the capital was sourced from the proceeds of TGI’s sales of its Chi Ltd business to Coca-Cola, all to finance the acquisition of Union Bank.
The purported investigation report recommended that the federal government should take over the banks. Such declarations based on incorrect assumptions portray Nigeria negatively, especially when the President is tirelessly seeking and courting foreign investments into the country.
TGI operates in 13 countries, including Nigeria, India, Morocco, Germany and the United Arab Emirates in agribusiness, industrial chemicals, real estate development and financial services. The opening of our USD75 million diary factory in Dubai in November 2023, is a further testimony to our international status and a proof of our presence in the country, contrary to the alleged claim by the purported report.
TGI’s commitment to Nigeria’s economic development and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda is evident in our activities across the country. We are a partner with Lagos state government on the 32 metric-tonne Imota Rice Mill in Ikorodu, and was also the sole supplier of paddy rice to the Lagos-Kebbi Lake Rice project. TGI also partners with Edo State Government to run their fertilizer blending plant, where we are the only producers of the chemical blend of NPK fertiliser that millions of Nigerian farmers use every season.
Additionally, we have state of the art rice Mills and Sesame factories in Kebbi and Jigawa states; foods and agrochemical production lines in Ogun and Lagos, and recently, signed a N50 billion financing agreement to support agricultural initiatives in Niger state which is projected to provide tens of thousands of jobs to the locals and improve food security in the country.
Only last month, TGI was part of Mr. President’s private sector delegation during his visit to Germany (November 2023) and where Union Bank signed a USD500 million contract for the development of renewable energy projects with German DWS entities. This clearly illustrates our credentials as a leading private sector partner to the Nigerian government.
The investigator’s claim that Union Bank did not respond to his request for information was misleading as all the information requested was submitted on the 1st September, 2023. It’s a well-known fact that Mr Vink, who has been in Nigeria since 1978, is an elderly person and has recently been medically advised to limit his movements. This was duly communicated to the investigator with supporting documents.
TGI’s capital, ownership and selling of Chi to a multinational such as Coca cola is proof that Mr Vink is not a proxy. The Group’s ability to engage and work with reputable international financial advisors and bankers attests to the Group’s global credibility. Union Bank was not owned by government and no government money (CBN or AMCON) was used to buy it. The process was diligently followed as captured in the report of the investigator.
As responsible corporate citizens, we are always willing, ready, and able to support stakeholders including regulators to learn and understand our Group and its operations.
Thank you.
Signed: Ms. Rafiat Gawat Head of Corporate Communications Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group Lagos
FirstBank MD, Governor Show Support for WACOT Rice Ltd.
Global calls for food security has necessitated public-private partnerships to enhance production of healthy food, tackle food insecurity and grow the agriculture sector.
As a show of support for our contributions to the agriculture industry, a recent visit was made to our WACOT Rice factory in Argungu, Kebbi, by the executive Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Managing Director, First Bank Adesola Adeduntan and other delegates from the bank.
Taking a tour of our facility, the governor applauded the activities of WACOT Rice in the state, commending the premium quality of Big Bull Rice, its flagship brand which has continuously contributed immensely to economic activities in the state and neighboring states.
At TGI Group, we will continue to add value by improving the livelihood of our people and our communities.
TGI Sponsors UN World Food Programe with $50,000
As part of our #FoodSecurity efforts across the country and the United Nations World Food Program’s
mandate to improve global nutrition and build resilience, we are proud to have supported the WFP’s ‘Zero Hunger Sprint – Nigeria’s Innovation Challenge’ held in Lagos last Friday (July 30th, 2021). The competition aimed to foster innovative approaches to end hunger, championed by Nigeria’s entrepreneurs through their startups.
Adepeju Jaiyeoba of Colorful Giggles got our award of twenty-one million naira (N21,000,000) after a successful presentation during the pitch event in Lagos, Nigeria.
Our investment in Colorful Giggles is a testament to our commitment to value addition to locally sourced raw materials, just like our own companies across the world. We are therefore excited that our commitment – innovator funding and mentorship – went to an outstanding innovator.
The award was presented by Ramesh D. Moochikal, CEO Agribusiness – TGI Group, and Habiba Suleiman, Strategy and Business Development Manager – TGI Group.
With the challenges posed by COVID-19 and global food insecurity, we are excited to partner with the UN’s WFP as homegrown talents tackle food insecurity and proffer sustainable solutions to global food insecurity.
#FoodSecurity #TheTGIWay #UNWFP #ZeroHungerSprint
TGI, WACOT Partner with Kano State Government at Sesame Conference
In yet another demonstration of our commitment to sustainable development of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, WACOT Ltd, member company of TGI Group has collaborated with the National Sesame Seed Association of Nigeria (NSSAN) and the Kano State Government at a two-day International Sesame Seed Conference, to chart a new course for production of quality sesame.
The conference themed ‘Developing the Sesame Seed Value Chain for Sustainable Economic Growth’ brought together stakeholders across government, regulatory agencies and private–sector collaborators.
As major stakeholders in Sesame production and the only indigenous recipients of ECOCERT – international certification for export of 100% organic sesame to Europe and America – We are excited to be leading the pack as Sesame has progressively assumed the role of Nigeria’s leading non-oil export commodity over the last half decade.
We will continue to put Nigeria on the global map of Sesame production as we remain ever more committed to supporting smallholder famers across the value chain.
TGI Cares Fund, an employee-led charity initiative of Tropical General Investments Group has commenced the second phase of its charity drive of the provision of one million meals to vulnerable persons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In its first phase, two hundred and eighty thousand meals were provided to children, unemployed youth and women across several communities in Lagos state. In the same vein, TGI Group had previously donated the sum of five hundred million naira in support of the federal government’s COVID-19 intervention fund organized by the private sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID). It also donated food items to two thousand families in Lagos state, five hundred families in Abuja and Ogun state respectively as well as twenty million naira for an isolation and treatment centre in Lagos.
Eugene Utomi, representing TGI Group employees, while speaking during the handover of food items to Transparency and Development Information Initiative (TDII), a Not-for-Profit organization that aims to support sustainable development and poverty reduction, reiterated the commitment of his colleagues to assisting vulnerable Nigerians experiencing economic hardship brought on by the pandemic.
Receiving the items on behalf of TDII, Dorothy Oleka, Team lead and Senior Technical Advisor and Hussaini Aliyu, Operations Manager, both applauded the contributions of TGI Group’s employees, expressed immense gratitude for the kind gesture and promised proper distribution of the food items to the most vulnerable persons in low-income communities across Kano state.
Distribution has now commenced and emphasis has been placed on reaching the most vulnerable, including people living with disabilities.
Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group is an international investment and holding company with diversified interests. Its corporate identity is based on respect for people, its communities and the natural environment as it continuously seeks to support its communities during and beyond challenging times.
TGI Cares Fund, an employee-led charity initiative of Tropical General Investments Group, is on a mission to provide one million meals to communities greatly affected by the economic impact of COVID-19.
The untold hardship brought on by the pandemic has left many people in our communities without a steady source of livelihood. TGI Cares Fund has been set up with the sole purpose of supporting communities during and beyond economic crisis, through the provision of food items.
Mr. Tominiyi Oni, Group Human Resources Director and Coordinator of TGI Cares Fund, expressed the desire of TGI employees to contribute their quota to the company’s efforts in Flattening the Curve in its immediate and surrounding communities, during the handover of food items to FoodClique Support Initiative – an organization that identifies and reaches out to the most vulnerable in our communities. He further stated “We are proud of our people who birthed this noble idea. These are difficult times so I am elated that my colleagues have pooled resources together to kick start this charity drive’’.
Receiving the food items on behalf of FoodClique Support Initiative, Bolajoko Fadipe expressed immense gratitude for the kind gesture. He described the donations as laudable and a welcome development. He further appreciated employees of TGI Group, promising proper distribution of the food items to the most vulnerable in low-income communities across the country.
In its first phase, two hundred and eighty thousand meals have been handed out to children, unemployed youth and women in particular in Lagos state. Phase two of the charity drive will extend to other communities in the northern part of the country.
Recall that the TGI Group had previously donated the sum of five hundred million naira (N500million) to support Nigeria’s COVID-19 intervention fund organized by the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), and food items for 2,000 families in Lagos, 500 families in Abuja, 500 families in Ogun and a donation of twenty million naira (N20,000,000) for an Isolation and Treatment Centre in Lagos, among others.
Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group is an international investment and holding company with diversified interests. Its corporate identity is based on respect for people, its communities and the natural environment as it continuously seeks to support its communities during and beyond challenging times.
In its continued bid to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Tropical General Investments Group through its subsidiary WACOT Limited, has donated food items including rice, soya oil and seasoning cubes, to the Edo State Government.
The Group delivered 1,000 bags of 10kg Big Bull Rice produced by its subsidiary – WACOT Rice Limited in Argungu, Kebbi State, 1,000 cartons of Golden Terra Oil and 1,000 cartons of Terra Seasoning Cubes, produced by subsidiaries West African Soy Industries Limited (WASIL) and West African Cubes Limited (WACUB), both located in Sagamu.
Handing over the items, Engr. Ayo Ijaoye, Head of the WACOT Fertilizer manufacturing plant located in Auchi noted that the donation is to serve as palliatives to ease people’s burdens at this time. “We appreciate the severity and enormous negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on businesses and the livelihood of Nigerians. As we have done in other states where we have operations, we are supporting the Government by providing food items to feed 1,000 households around our factory here in Auchi.”
Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, Chairman Etsako West Local Government, Hon. Yinusa Imonofi expressed gratitude towards the gesture. He described the gesture as timely, and a welcome development. He described the intervention as commendable and one that would go a long way in creating some ease for the people, as the government continued to its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recall that the TGI Group had donated the sum of five hundred million naira (N500million) to support Nigeria’s COVID-19 intervention fund organized by the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), and food items for 2,000 families in Lagos, 500 families in Abuja, 500 families in Ogun and a donation of twenty million naira (N20,000,000) for an Isolation and Treatment Centre in Lagos, among others.
Commenting on the donations, the Group Managing Director, TGI Group, Mr. Rahul Savara noted that ‘’As we continue to navigate the uncharted waters of this COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, it has become more obvious that it is only through collective responsibility that we can get through this. Many lives have been lost, and in order to stem the tide, the pandemic has to be combatted on all fronts – humanitarian angle, medical supplies and research. It has therefore become necessary for us to join hands with government, credible institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria and other private sector players to pool resources in order to tackle this challenge”.
Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group is an international investment and holding company with diversified interests. Its corporate identity is based on respect for people, its communities and the natural environment as it continuously seeks to support its communities during and beyond challenging times.
Tropical General Investments Group has donated food items including rice, soya oil and seasoning cubes, as part of its efforts to support the Lagos state government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the presentation, TGI Group provided 200 bags of 50kg Big Bull Rice produced by its subsidiary – WACOT Rice Limited in Argungu, Kebbi State, 2500 cartons of Golden Terra Oil and 3000 cartons of Terra Seasoning Cubes, produced by subsidiaries West African Soy Industries Limited (WASIL) and West African Cubes Limited (WACUB), both located in Sagamu.
Corporate Communications Manager, TGI Group, Rafiat Raji, in her address during the presentation of items, stated “in view of the stay-at-home directive, it is clear that many Lagosians are facing one level of hardship or the other. Therefore, we understand that it is a collective responsibility to provide support for the less privileged among us, hence our contribution to the Lagos State food bank which will provide succor to at least 20,000 families”.
Commissioner for Agriculture – Lagos State, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, who received the items alongside the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, on behalf of the state government noted that the donation was a welcome development. He commended the efforts of TGI Group in its timely response to partner with the state government in its intervention to provide food for two hundred thousand households across three hundred and seventy seven wards to cater for the most vulnerable and indigent within the state in this period.
“This will also add to what we have in mind in terms if supporting our people. Our target is to reach 200,000 homes across Lagos, and distribution is already ongoing in multiple locations” Lawal said.
The group reassured the state Government of their commitment to keep supporting the state and country on all fronts in order to flatten the curve of the Corona Virus pandemic.
Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group is an international investment and holding company with diversified interests. Its corporate identity is based on respect for people, its communities and the natural environment as it continuously seeks to support its communities during and beyond challenging times.
– The End –
Lagos, October 11, 2019. Terra Seasoning Cubes has launched an ambitious Food security and Corporate Social Responsibility initiative – Terra Cares4Naija, to make a difference in the lives of 10,000+ people across Lagos State. This initiative will commence on the World Food day (October 16,2019).
According to United Nations report, more than one billion people are undernourished globally while under nutrition is to blame for one-third of all child deaths. One in eight people are suffering from chronic hunger. As per reports, Nigeria has the highest number of people below poverty line in entire Africa and 53.5% Nigerians live less than $1.90/day. This year, the World Food Day calls for action across sectors to make healthy and sustainable diets affordable and accessible to everyone.
Terra Seasoning Cubes, launched in April this year, is now taking an initiative towards making a difference in the lives of these vulnerable and underprivileged people by providing nourishing food to them.
Addressing a press conference in Lagos, Marketing Manager of TGI Distri Limited (Marketers of Terra Seasoning Cubes, Big Bull Rice, Renew fabric care range amongst others), Mr. Govind Agarwal said this initiative is true to the values which make TGI group, a responsible business in the Nigerian Society. Through the Terra Cares4Naija initiative, the business will positively impact the society and give back to the community where it operates. Commencing from October 16 which is celebrated globally as the World Food Day, Terra will be reaching out to 1000+ people every Saturday for 10+ weeks across different parts of Lagos and provide them with nutritious food. In all, it will impact 10,000+ lives during this period and increase access to quality food among communities. “We believe that a healthy population is an asset to a nation; hence we are at the fore in driving the conversation on the need to eat right and cook with the right seasoning which Terra Cube offers. The importance of good nutrition in raising a healthy family cannot be overemphasized”, Agarwal said.
“Terra Seasoning Cubes is a true cooking seasoning sensation allowing everybody to enjoy great taste. Terra Seasoning Cubes have particularly been designed to meet the palate requirements of all Nigerians especially in terms of aroma and flavor. It is available in two variants: Beef and Chicken, in sizes of single cubes of 4gm. They are also designed to preserve the aroma of meals during and after cooking”, he added.
TGI Distri Limited is a member of the TGI Group, the conglomerate that produced reputable companies like Chi Limited and iconic brands like Chivita & Hollandia. TGI group also has subsidiaries like Cormart, West Africa Cotton Company (WACOT), Chi Farms amongst others that produced strong national brands like Renew Starch and Big Bull Rice etc.
TGI Distri Limited is the distribution, sales and marketing arm of TGI Group companies and is the marketer of Terra seasoning, Big Bull Rice, Renew Starch, Shine All Dishwashing Liquid, Shine All Scouring powder and many other notable brands. TGI Distri is also the fulcrum and catalyst for innovation and New Product Development for the TGI Group”.
July 8, 2019 – CORMART Nigeria Ltd., a leading chemical company in Nigeria and a member of TGI Group, has recently launched a new resin-based PVC adhesive for plumbers.
The new adhesive called VinkoGit is a special glue used for joining PVC pipes, a key material in plumbing and construction. VinkoGit which is produced at the company’s factory located at KM51, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, is set to replace imported PVC glues in Nigeria, which are more commonplace.
CORMART’s General Manager, Dr. Johannes Flosbach, disclosed during the launch that, “VinkoGit is an absolute premium product in its category, and it is of a higher quality than most of its imported counterparts”.
He went on to state that CORMART intends to increase local production of many of its product offerings. He said, “We have a strategy to replace imported products with quality locally produced chemicals. We have a dedicated Research and Development department that continuously seeks to improve the quality of products by introducing better alternatives into the market”.
The Business Unit Head of CORMART’s Adhesives Department, Mr. Diwakar, explained that customers like the quality of the new adhesive and sales have already exceeded expectations. He said, “We have partnered with the Plumbers Association of Nigeria and carried out trade sensitization programs across Nigeria, which have been very successful.”
TGI Group 