Nigeria is very far from Kenya. You should go to Nigeria to see proliferation of Indomie advertisement in Lagos and Abuja.
Indofood's Nigerian subsidiary De-United Food Limited operates two factories in Ota (Ogun State) and Port Harcourt (Rivers State). It has 700 distributors, 100,000 retailers, and serves more than 38 million customers throughout Nigeria. Indomie is also a huge sponsor of Nigerian police, social services, and sports (Nigeria's most prominent soccer team is called "Indomie FC" and Nigerian Women's Soccer League is called "Indomie Women International Match"). Nigerian police biggest source of fund is Indomie, earning them the nickname "Indomie Noodle Police".
Just type "Indomie Nigeria" on google to find out more.
Here's a funny case of "Killer Indomie" scare back in 2004 that shocked Nigeria to its core. Appearantly, some unscrupulous Nigerian competitors made fake Indomie noodles that is not safe for consumption. Luckily, Indomie bribed the famous Nigerian Food and Drugs Administrator Dora Akunyili (my dad's friend) to give Indomie her seal of approval, so Indomie continues to dominate Nigeria today.
The Indomie Alert By Osita Ike--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the night of May 10, a message came into my hand set. I did not initially recognise the number, but I opened and read the message. It was a short, terse warning of the presence in the market of killer Indomie noodles and that some kids had died the day before (presumably as a direct consequence of eating the killer noodles).As a public relations and Media practitioner, my first reaction was to verify the authenticity of the information. Others would simply have forwarded the text. I realised the major implications of such news, if true. My reply to the text was simple: "Please, what is the source of this alert?" Off went my text and off went in search of my address book to check the owner of the phone number the text came from. My phone memory is not as large as my heart, you see, and even though I use two GSM phones, PR involves meeting and keeping in touch with so many people, that I regularly transfer numbers to my address book to create room for the most frequently used. Nigeria no easy, my people!
I discovered the phone number was for a highly respected and thoroughly professional doctor friend, currently the Medical Director of one of Nigeria's largest food and beverage multi-nationals. This was certainly no hoax or crank text. This doctor had started as a pediatrician and I could appreciate his concern for the welfare of children and their families.
As I confirmed the owner of the number, a reply to my query came in. The doctor had verified the alert from two different and credible sources. I thus forwarded the warning to close associates and to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.
I then sat at my computer and wrote a letter to the Managing director of De United Food Industries Limited, Ota, who make Indomie Noodles under licence of PT, Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, Indonesia. I also wrote to the MD of Multi-Pro Enterprises, Lagos, who distributed Indomie in Nigeria. My message was simple: quickly get to the bottom of the problem. Indomie is a house hold name. Make sure your production and distribution chain has remained fool proof and then we can all assist NAFDAC, SON and the security agencies to track down the criminals about to unleash mayhem on our nation.In effect I wanted the 'Indomie People' to do their own immediate and objective investigations. I had personally considered three options. First, fake Indomie may have hit town because of the immense popularity of the product sold and consumed virtually every where. Indeed I had wondered when, not if, such a problem would occur, going by the regular adulteration of popular medical products.
Second, it was possible that expired or badly stored and consequently spoilt products had been pushed in to the market by unscrupulous maniacs. Indeed NAFDAC has constantly warned about the grave danger of poor storage conditions shortening the life span of perishable products.
Third, I reckoned 'our enemies had done their worst' in true Nigerian fashion. Some body or group of people either 'badly' wanted to make money, had a score to settle or wanted to put the Asian born business men out of business. Remember Tylenol and the US? How do you encourage investment in such circumstances?
As a member of PASDEV, an NGO deeply committed to sustainable development, I am personally devoted to promoting best practices. As a devout Christian, I remain conscious of the Lord's directive that I do unto others as I would want them to do to me. I wish others would think like wise. Then as a 'New Generation Nigerian', I know the grave danger this present scenario portends if not promptly, professionally and effectively handled by all stake holders and civil society.
Disaster looms on two levels. First is the immediate health/death risk. Second, if fakers and maniacs can function with such reckless abandon, manufacturers are in big trouble and potential investors will have to do a rethink. In addition to the power generation problems, multiple taxation, distribution night mares, you now have a situation in which years of hard work can be wrecked in a couple of hours, by some fake products and panic stricken citizens sending out millions of e-mails and text messages. Today it is Indomie. Tomorrow, it could be any of a thousand popular and affordable products available every where.
To my fellow citizens, a word of advice. Be careful where you buy what you eat especially. I have always been wary about buying food from a total stranger in traffic and then popping such an item in my mouth or taking it home to feed my children. Untested! The vendor could be the devil himself. I am not trying to put poor, self employed people out of business, but we need to be a bit more wary of the things we feed our bodies and minds with. It is not mere coincidence that kidney and related organ failure is on the rise.
After writing the letters, I said another prayer for Nigeria. I prayed for NAFDAC and the other agencies saddled with the onerous task of battling the faceless guerrillas using poverty as an excuse to maim and kill for blood money. This is one crisis we do not need.
lndomie has become a household name. In spite of the fact that the president has acquired a certain notoriety that makes his name a recurring decimal, Indomie is more widely known and respected. Like Milo etc. It is fast, cheap food for a wealthy nation of impoverished citizens and people with increasingly limited time or resources.Aggressive marketing has put it where it is today, with its school-targeted programmes especially. Competitions encourage and reward children and their schools for eating as much Indomie as possible. Schools that could not even afford sign boards now have colourful Indomie signs at their gates. Of course, Indomie billboards, TV commercials, street vendors, news paper and magazine adverts have all helped to entice s us all. Let us take the positive lessons from this phenomenon.Let us use this Indomie challenge to fight the scourge of fake, expired and adulterated goods with a vengeance. This campaign is indeed going to be part of the thrust of the 'World Environment Week' from June I to 6, 2004, which PASDEV and other civil society organisations are collaborating on. Health is a critical component of "The Environment". Health, be it physical, political, economic or psychological, is indeed wealth.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2004/...40522com02.html
... relos? whts relos?
