Food technology startup, Reelfruit unveils 800 metric ton dry fruit factory in Ogun State

Ejike Kanife
Reelfruit hopes to increase its monthly dried fruit production from 6 Metric tons to 30 metric tons while hiring over 200 employees
Reelfruit unveils 800 metric ton dry fruit factory in Ogun State
Affiong Williams, Reelfruit CEO

By Yunusa Umar

ReelFruit, a Nigerian food technology startup that produces healthy snacks from dried fruits and nuts, has officially unveiled its new factory in Ogun State, Nigeria. This was revealed on his X (Twitter) account by Paga CEO, Tayo Oviosu, who is also a close associate and one of the earliest investors in the company.

While congratulating the Founder and CEO of Reelfruit, Affiong Williams, the Paga CEO noted that the factory is an 800 metric ton processing facility which would create more than 280 jobs for the people.

“I’m so proud of Affiong Williams and Team Reelfruit as they inaugurate their new factory in Ogun. 800 metric ton dried fruit processing facility running 100% on gas! Creating over 280 jobs! Affi’s tenacity has been a joy to witness. I can’t wait to see Reelfruit in Whole Foods,” Tayo tweeted.

Reelfruit unveils 800 metric ton dry fruit factory in Ogun State

Reelfruit factory to help meet local and international demand

A leading fruit agribusiness in Nigeria, ReelFruit was founded in 2012 by Affiong Williams to retail a range of dried fruit and nut snacks. The company would later expand into producing a wide range of dried, healthy fruits and nuts snacks. These snacks are sold across hotels, schools and over 250 retail supermarkets in the country. The products are made from fruits which include mango, pineapple, cashew, banana, etc.

Aside from the local market, the startup also exports its products to West African countries and beyond. The products are made from fruits like mangoes, coconuts, and cashews. According to Affiong, the startup hopes to show that Nigerian products can be made to worldwide standards and can be sold anywhere.

So, aside from producing nourishing foods, its preservation model ensures that the company is contributing its quota in ensuring that the wastage of those perishable agricultural products is minimised.

Reelfruit unveils 800 metric ton dry fruit factory in Ogun State

In September 2021, ReelFruit announced that it had raised $3 million in Series A funding. With the capital, the startup said it intended to build a new factory. This would in turn improve its production by fivefold as well as double its exports to the US and other international markets. At the time, Affiong Williams said:

“This investment takes ReelFruit to the next level. We can meet increased demand for our products and tackle one of our biggest challenges – raw material supply. We’re thrilled that this will unleash a greater impact on our value chain by increasing farmer incomes and creating up to 300 decent jobs for Nigerians,

The new factory commissioned is aimed to increase its monthly dried fruit production from 6 Metric tons to 30 metric tons. The factory will hire over 200 people in its first year.

See also: Fruit processing startup, Reelfruit raises $3m series A funding

As part of its efforts to secure high-quality raw materials, ReelFruit plans to deepen its existing work with Nigerian fruit farmers. The company will form an agro-extension services program for 250 registered mango and pineapple producers. The program will boost fruit yields and help support a steady supply of high-quality raw materials for the factory.

To meet the strong demand for its dried fruit snacks, ReelFruit will diversify its local and international sales channels. The company also launched an e-commerce channel for direct US sales.

Reelfruit unveils 800 metric ton dry fruit factory in Ogun State

ReelFruit will also unlock more B2B opportunities including white-labeling and co-packing to support the national drive toward import substitution. Local buyers will be able to buy dried fruit locally thereby reducing dependence on imports.

ReelFruit is on a mission to produce the tastiest and healthiest snacks for its customers across the world. Some of its best-selling products are Gently Dried Mango, Fruit & Nut Mix, and Sweetened Coconut Flakes.


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