Johnvents, Ondo reaffirm investment in agribusiness, manufacturing

Johnvents Group has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening partnerships, investing in capacity, and building industries that will accelerate Nigeria’s economic transformation and boost Africa’s global competitiveness.

The resolve came as the Ondo State Government restated its ambition to position the state as a competitive hub for agribusiness, manufacturing, technology, and energy.

According to a statement, the Johnvents Group’s leadership gave the assurance during the company’s 2025 End-of-Year Celebration held at The Dome, Akure, where industry leaders, international partners, traditional rulers, including the Deji of Akure, and senior government officials gathered to review what the firm described as “a transformative year.”

Delivering the welcome address, Group Executive Director of Johnvents, Tarun Chawla, stated that the organisation had strengthened its operations and expanded its global presence. He noted that the company’s growth was made possible by a supportive business environment provided by the Ondo State Government.

He said, “This year reshaped us as a business. We strengthened our operations, expanded our relevance, and demonstrated what a committed team can achieve when purpose and discipline align. The stability and clarity your administration provides form the foundation on which organisations like ours continue to grow and innovate.”

Chawla appreciated the confidence of partners such as British International Investment, the International Finance Corporation, AFRIEXIM Bank, and other financial institutions in the Group’s long-term vision. He said Johnvents had now become “a global value-chain participant with investments and collaborations spanning Africa, the UAE, Asia, and Europe.”

In his keynote address, the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, described Johnvents Group as a model of how homegrown enterprises can become global powerhouses without losing touch with their host communities.

Aiyedatiwa noted: “Johnvents stands today as a monument to what focused investment and structured institutional support can achieve. With over ten factories, more than 1,500 direct employees, thousands of benefiting households and an ecosystem of over 5,000 farmers, Johnvents is living proof that prosperity becomes inevitable when ingenuity meets institutional support.”

He listed reforms in ease of doing business, digitisation of government processes, security enhancement, infrastructure expansion, and the work of the Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency as critical pillars of the state’s strategy to strengthen private-sector competitiveness.

The governor noted that the success of companies like Johnvents aligns with the administration’s vision of an inclusive, opportunity-driven economy. “The Johnvents story assures every investor here and across the world that Ondo State is ready for investment, ready for expansion and ready for global competitiveness,” he emphasised.

The event also celebrated the resilience of Johnvents’ workforce and the company’s widening contributions to community development, including education, youth empowerment and agribusiness initiatives.

Johnvents added that it is committed to partnering with local and global institutions, scaling capacity, and building industries that deliver value across Nigeria’s agricultural and manufacturing value chains.

The Group operates seven businesses, including Johnvents Cocoa Factory, Johnvents Trading, Johnvents Foods, Johnvents Industries DMCC, Johnvents Farms, Premium Cocoa Product (Ile-Oluji), and Haven Hauling, spanning production, processing, manufacturing, and trade of commodities and food products in Nigeria and other regions.