Olam Agri has announced plans to invest approximately $400 million in Africa’s food and animal feed processing industry by 2028, including the construction of new feed mills in Nigeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast.

The agricultural commodities trader disclosed the investment in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, saying the expansion would increase processing capacity across selected African markets amid growing demand for processed foods and animal protein.

The proposed investment will cover animal feed production, grain processing, wheat milling and pasta manufacturing. It builds on approximately $115 million the company has invested in West African processing operations since 2024.

Olam Agri said the expansion would position the company to benefit from Africa’s expanding population, increasing incomes and changing dietary preferences, which are contributing to higher demand for food, meat, fish and other sources of animal protein.

“Populations are growing, incomes are rising and diets are changing. Demand for food, feed and protein will keep climbing,” said Saurabh Mehra, Olam’s head of food and feed processing.

In Nigeria, the company plans to establish its third animal feed manufacturing plant to increase production capacity for poultry and fish feed. The expansion will also include an increase in semolina production capacity and the addition of 850 trucks to its distribution fleet to improve product delivery across the country.

Cameroon is also expected to benefit from the investment, with plans for a poultry feed manufacturing facility capable of producing 300,000 tonnes annually. The plant is scheduled to commence operations in early 2028.

In Ghana, Olam Agri intends to expand its existing pasta production capacity as part of its broader food processing strategy.

Meanwhile, the investment will mark the company’s entry into Ivory Coast’s food and feed processing industry. Its proposed activities in the country include wheat milling, animal feed manufacturing and poultry breeding.

Beyond these markets, Olam Agri is exploring further expansion opportunities in southern Africa, including Angola.

Mehra said the planned investment would increase local processing capacity, align with government priorities on value addition and contribute to strengthening food security across the continent.

The expansion is also expected to create additional demand for locally sourced agricultural commodities. Once the new feed mills in Nigeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast reach full production capacity, they are projected to purchase more than 500,000 tonnes of corn and soybeans annually from over 130,000 smallholder farmers.

The investment comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to strengthen domestic agricultural production, expand local food processing and reduce reliance on imported food commodities.

In October 2026, the Federal Government announced that the country’s annual wheat production had risen from approximately 120,000 metric tonnes to 420,000 metric tonnes following the implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP).

The increase followed the introduction of the 2025/2026 dry-season wheat farming initiative under the NAGS-AP programme in November 2025.

The initiative targeted 80,000 registered farmers nationwide and projected an output value of approximately ₦160 billion.

SOURCE:MSME Africa Online