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11.05.2016 Feature Article

‘Now is time to be in Africa’

Alejandro Pons, CEO, Inesfly Africa, Accra-GhanaAlejandro Pons, CEO, Inesfly Africa, Accra-Ghana
11.05.2016 LISTEN

Transfer of relevant technology, not aid, is what West African countries need now, managing director of Inesfly Africa Alejandro Pons tells MARTIN-LUTHER C. KING in Accra. And walking the talk of Africa being the place to be in now, he said the Spanish-owned but Africa-focused insecticide manufacturer based in Accra, Ghana plans to set up factories around West Africa to produce pesticides to boost the sub region’s capacity to combat malaria-borne mosquitoes.

Excerpts:
How do you assess Ghana’s public health sector?

This question is very difficult because right now the economic outlook of Ghana is tough. They are suffering; the budget is really tight, and going through government projects is very difficult if it is not with the help of international institutions. Now we are trying to go through private institutions, and we are trying to advise and transfer our technology to the Ghanaians. Because Inesfly is a technology that you have to understand if you are to take advantage of this technology. When you have an enemy, the most important thing is to know your enemy. Now, we don’t want to kill all the insects in the world, we only want to remove the insects from our environment. And we are insisting to the government in Ghana and governments in other countries that Inesfly is here on a national assignment. We are not here to sell insecticides. We believe that Inesfly is one partner in the fight against malaria disease. In addition, we also help in training public health. But Inesfly alone will not be able to eradicate malaria disease in Africa. Now what we try to create is a team, starting from Ghana, because we believe that Ghana is a good place to be. And we are trying to expand from here. But it’s not easy. Right now, it’s not easy with Ghana. But we ‘re doing the same thing with Nigeria, and with other countries where we are trying to collaborate with the governments on national programs to eradicate malaria.

Why Ghana?
I’ve been in Ghana for eight years. I have different businesses, and I really realize that Ghana is a stable country both socially and politically. It’s safe. And for an investor, that’s very important. If you put aside the political and social situation, which is temporary, it’s not forever, it’s the perfect place to be. Ghana is the Sweden of Africa; it’s like Sweden. I know there are other good countries in Africa, but the Ghanaians are very peaceful, they are very kind, they are very good people. In Ghana I can do it. I travel to many countries in Africa and you know it better than me that it’s not easy in some of the countries Also, when I came to Ghana eight years ago, I realized that the local business people were sending the money abroad. And after two or three years that I was here, I realized that the people had started to believe in their country, started to invest in their country again. And when I wanted to put my factory, Inesfly, in Ghana and was looking for partners, for local partners, because it’s big, the local partners wanted the factory built in Ghana. They didn’t ask that we put the factory in Panama or Germany, or even in Dubai. They said let’s put the factory in Ghana. I think Ghana is a place for good opportunities. Africa is the central place of history in the world. This is the time to be in Africa.

What is Inesfly all about?
Inesfly is a new technology invented by Dr. Pellar Marteo, a Spanish scientist, developed through a micro-encapsulated solution that gives long persistency and long life to the insecticide. So through this new technology, we are able to produce different products that give long life to insecticides that can the insects that carry diseases. Dr. Pellar Marteo developed this product 20 year ago. She was doing the product on humanitarian basis to help the people of Bolivia. But after these 20 years, in 2012, I contacted her and realized that the product was really amazing. I thought the product would be fantastic for Africa, to combat the diseases endemic in Africa, like malaria. So we became partners in 2012. Following that we set up a factory in Ghana, a ten million dollar investment. This was in 2014. We are planning to set up factories between now and next year in more than ten countries around the world. In Africa, we are going to set up factories in Congo, Nigeria, Liberia or Sierra Leone (we are still considering which of the two would be best, but both countries need the product because of the Ebola problem). We are also negotiating with Morocco, Kenya, South Africa and other countries.

Do you manufacture in Ghana?
Yes. This is the factory. We manufacture in Ghana. Imagine what we did: Our local partners decided to invest more than a million and half dollars on the site of the factory to produce our own buckets. Now we believe in the local market, we believe in Ghana, we believe in Africa. But of course, industrialization in Ghana needs more time. And this is why we are here; we are part of the industrialization.

Give us a brief insight into Inesfly products and raw materials

Very good question. Inesfly produces and formulates insecticides. We are not a paint factory. Our licence is not for manufacturing paints. Our licence is to manufacture and formulate insecticides and pesticides. One of our products is paint, of course. But we have a range of 20 products, all high-quality products. All our raw materials come from Europe and United States. Because that’s where the factories are. But those raw materials that we can buy locally, we buy. We don’t compromise on our standards.

You have Inesfly Ghana and Inesfly Nigeria. What’s the connection?

What we are doing now is try to enter into partnerships, to licence our technology. Nigeria right now is selling our products. But we, Inesfly Africa, are doing so directly, not through any local partners. Yes, we have local business people who are helping us; but it is Inesfly Africa that is fully responsible at this point. It is the same Inesfly Africa that is registered in Ghana, Nigeria and other countries around Africa. Because if you are not registered in the country, you cannot market insecticides. Now Inesfly Africa is registered in Nigeria just as our products are registered with NAFDAC. But of course when it gets to the point to put the product on the table, we need some local partners to do that. But we as Inesfly Africa are directly responsible for sending and making the product available in Nigeria. Of course, our Nigeria company sells to customers, some big-time, some small-time.

But you don’t manufacture in Nigeria?
For now, we do not yet manufacture in Nigeria. But we are thinking of putting a manufacturing plant in Nigeria sometime soon, either in 2015 or 2016.

Against the backdrop of the Common Economic Tariff operating in West Africa, how do you move your products across different borders around the sub region?

We just started; and, we are still putting in place our structures technically and legally. We applied for an ECOWAS license six month ago, and still awaiting a response; and, you know it’s not so easy to get the necessary certificates. Right now, some of our clients in different countries across West Africa are asking for our products. But we cannot send our products to countries where our products are yet to be officially approved. Our legal department is on top of the situation. May be in the next one or two years we will be able to have fully sorted those out. I can talk about Nigeria because it is shaping up. I can also talk about two or three other countries that are also coming up. But, I think, generally we are just putting up the structures.

Do you manage your Nigeria operations from here?

We manage Inesfly Africa from here, yes; Nigeria, from here.

Inesfly Africa office in Ghana is the Africa headquarters, you mean?

Yes. Another thing is the legality. Inesfly Africa needs to be registered in any country that wants to have our products. When it is not registered in your name, you don’t have control over your products; and, you don’t know what they registered. Our products are related to health. Now when something is related to health, and necessarily has to be approved by EPA, NAFDAC or any other department that approves health products in the relevant countries, we want to control entry strategies our self.

How many countries are you in now in West Africa?

In West Africa, we are selling in Cote d’Ivoire; we are selling in Burkina Faso; we’re selling in Nigeria. These three countries right now. However, we are in negotiation with all the West African countries.

What stands Inesfly out from its competitors?

Our product is unique. Inesfly does not have competitors because of our formula, our technology. First of all, we have a world-wide patent, covering over 150 countries. Now the secret of our micro-encapsulated solution ensures that ours is the only product in the world that has something called IGR, insect growth regulator. Wherever we apply our products, the IGR means that not only are the insects that are alive killed, but that we are also killing the eggs; and, in addition, stop all the process of growth of the insects, from the larva to the insects. What you see immediately after applying Inesfly is a reduction of the population. Now, who has this type of technology? Nobody! Who is my competitor? But the question is not who my competitor is, rather it is how to make the consumer understand that this product is unique. I know it’s normal in Ghana and around Africa for people want to try before they can believe.

How do you assess your markets in Ghana and Nigeria?

We just started; and, we need to invest heavily in marketing, in advertising. We have different clients in Ghana; same in Nigeria.

Who are your clients in Nigeria?
Different; particularly companies, both small and big. However, we need to create greater awareness of the product, and that demands time.

How long has the product been in Ghana?
We signed the agreement to set up the factory in 2012, and the factory was opened in July 2014.

What was your response to the June 3 flood and fire disaster in Accra? Were you able to fumigate the disaster zone?

We are just one year in the Ghanaian market. We have incurred losses and are still investing money into the country. How can I fulfill my corporate social responsibility? You have to understand that we need real time. Let me give you an analogy: Coca cola started 60 years ago. Coca cola was unknown quantity sixty years ago. But they have amazing products. That is how Inesfly is. We have amazing products. But we need the awareness, the people have to try the product and understand the technology. Meanwhile, we’ve been to several departments of government and given free demonstrations to them.

Pons...gestures As He Makes A PointPons...gestures As He Makes A Point

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