Firm Introduces Sorghum Meal, Decries Inadequate Skilled Workers

• Firm Introduces Sorghum Meal, Decries Inadequate Skilled Workers

Samtillah Foods Limited has decried the absence of skilled workers in the country, which is among the numerous challenges facing manufacturers.

The Managing Director, Samtillah Foods, Mrs. Olaide Adedoyin, said this while conducting guests round her new sorghum meal factory in Lagos on Sunday.

Listing some of the challenges the new factory could face, Adedoyin, who is also a furniture maker, said apart from power, the next problem would be getting skilled manpower.

She said, “One of my major challenges is likely to be in the area of skilled manpower. The reason is because most youths are not ready to learn and work hard; they want the easy job and more money.

“The only way we have decided to cope with this challenge is to keep training people. We intend to have in-house training every three months. Then, every six months, we will send the workers to take part in some training organised by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and others.”

On the sorghum meal, she said that the firm had been experimenting with the product for the past two years before deciding to launch into the market.

“Before launching, we have been sampling the product in the past two years among friends, church members and family members. Some people order it for parties and we get wonderful feedback from those who have tasted it.”

The entrepreneur said sorghum meal had helped her fight arthritis as a young woman because it was gluten-free and had more fibre.

Adedoyin recommended it for diabetic patients and people who might want to lose weight and cut down on their sugar intake, adding, “It helps fight inflammation.”

She also said the crop could not be stored for a long time because it was prone to weevils’ attack.

To overcome this challenge, she said that her company was collaborating with a United States of America firm for training on preservation techniques.