Okin Biscuits begins comeback after 17-year production halt

Okin Biscuits has begun its comeback after a 17-year production halt, with the management of the once-popular Nigerian confectionery brand taking steps to revive the business.

The company announced that one of its production lines at its factory in Offa, Kwara State, was restarted on Tuesday following extensive rehabilitation. The line had remained inactive after vandals reportedly removed vital components, including cables, motors, contactors and frequency drives.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, the company described the development as a technical trial aimed at confirming whether the long-dormant production line could be restored to operation.

“For the first time in 17 years, biscuits rolled off one of our rehabilitated production lines at the factory in Offa. We had to rebuild the line after having all cables, frequency drives, contactors, motors and other electronic components stolen. This was a technical trial run, not a product trial,” the company said.

The company explained that further testing and calibration would be required to restore the taste and quality associated with the Okin brand before its products could return to the market.

It also disclosed that the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company connected the factory to a 33 kVA Band A electricity supply on Tuesday, describing the development as another major milestone in the revival project.

Founded in 1980 by the late Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye, an Offa-born businessman, Okin Biscuits became a household brand. However, operational challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, unstable power supply and competition from cheaper imported biscuits, contributed to the suspension of production.

Following the latest development, the company said further rehabilitation, testing and calibration would be carried out before its products are fully restored to the Nigerian market.