France: the Nigerian Creativo El Matador is preparing an industrial establishment near Marseille.

Creativo El Matador intends to use France as an entry point into the European market. The Nigerian group is notably working with cocoa, cashew nuts, gum arabic, and ginger, raw materials it wishes to process or market to European consumers.

“It’s necessary to strengthen our direct relationship with France,” explains Adebowale Adeyeye, the CEO of the company. According to him, the current model, which sees some African raw materials shipped to Asia before returning to European markets as processed products, prolongs timelines and limits value creation on both continents.

The company thus wants to reduce transport and transit times while developing a processing activity in Africa and France. It also claims to want to offer products from the African continent at prices and in quality conditions suitable for the French market. The specific terms of this supply chain have not been disclosed.

A Commercial Office Before the Industrial Unit

The first step in this strategy is to set up an office in Paris. Creativo El Matador is supported by Business France, the agency responsible for promoting international investments in France. This establishment should allow the company to prospect European clients while also identifying French and European suppliers capable of selling their products in Africa.

“Often, companies start with a commercial office and then wish to follow up with a production unit,” notes Nicole Blazik, director of international investment projects at Business France for Southern Africa. According to her, Creativo El Matador wants to position itself between the two continents by developing its sales in Europe and its sourcing activities between France and Africa.

The company has already acquired land in the Marseille region. It plans to build a warehouse and a processing factory there, with an expected start-up by the end of the year. However, the timeline remains dependent on the progress of the works and any necessary permits. The amount of the investment has not been disclosed.

In the long term, the French office is expected to contribute to the creation of 24 jobs over three years. The company has not detailed the distribution of these positions among commercial, logistical, and industrial functions.

To justify the choice of France, Adebowale Adeyeye highlights the historical and linguistic ties between France and several African countries. Although Nigerian, the leader says he grew up in contact with neighboring Francophone countries. He also cites France’s interest in investments and exchanges with Africa as a factor that influenced the decision to set up.