OREANDA-NEWS. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. announced that overseas sales company AJINOMOTO AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST S.A. has built and began full-scale operation in April 2013 of a repacking plant for umami seasoning AJI-NO-MOTO® for consumers in the Yopougon industrial area of Abidjan, the largest city in Cote d’Ivoire (Yopougon Plant).

In January 2012, Ajinomoto Co. established AJINOMOTO AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST S.A. in Cote d’Ivoire and began sales of AJI-NO-MOTO® in the domestic market. Initially, the company sold AJI-NO-MOTO® as an imported finished product from West African Seasoning Co. Limited (WASCO) of Nigeria. However, the establishment of the repacking plant has enabled the company to locally package bulk AJI-NO-MOTO® imported from Ajinomoto Co. do Brasil Industria e Comorcio Ltda. to fit the needs of local consumers. With this capability, the company is considering 11 countries in West Africa as a single area that includes the countries surrounding Cote d’Ivoire, among which trade is increasing, and will work to expand its operations in the area.

The company plans to extend its product lineup to flavor seasonings and processed food products in the future. It is targeting sales of approximately JPY 2.5 billion in 2016.

Strengthening and growing the overseas consumer foods business is one of the key principles of the FY2011-2013 Medium-Term Management Plan aimed at making Ajinomoto Co. a genuine global company.

Strengthening African operations is a priority for the Ajinomoto Group, which has been enhancing its business base there. Measures have included capacity expansion of WASCO’s packaging plant in Nigeria (completed in March 2013), construction of a distribution warehouse for WASCO in Northern Nigeria (completed in April 2013) and expansion of its sales network in Nigeria. With the addition of the new repacking plant in Cote d’Ivoire, the Ajinomoto Group intends to further expand its business in the Sub-Saharan region,2 centered on West Africa, by providing an increasing number of products and services that meet the needs of its African customers.