26/10/2025
FROM FACTORY TO CHURCH: LIMCA FACTORY COLLAPSE WORRIES ANALYST
Socio-economic analyst Okulaja Olawale Kehinde has expressed concern over the shutdown of the former Femstar Nigeria Bottling Company in Ibereko, Badagry, Lagos State, producers of Limca, Goldspot and Parle Soda, and its reported conversion into a church.
Olawale, in a commentary on Facebook, described the factory as, for many years, “the pride of Badagry,” noting that it provided direct employment to thousands of people and indirectly supported several others through supply chains, transportation, and small-scale trade.
He said the development represents “a deeper economic and social decline,” raising questions about Africa’s “industrial priorities, economic resilience, and policy direction.”
According to him, “When a production company folds up and its factory is converted into a church, the consequences extend beyond job losses. It marks the death of industrial productivity and the birth of economic dependency in that community.”
He added that while churches provide spiritual guidance, they “do not replace the economic productivity that factories generate,” noting that “instead of producing goods and services, they depend on the offerings and tithes of members—funds that are often not reinvested into manufacturing or employment generation.”
Olawale said the situation highlights weak policy protection for industries and a lack of intervention by governments when factories face distress. He contrasted Africa’s approach with that of developed economies, stating that “in developed nations such as the United States, Germany, Japan, or South Korea, it is almost unthinkable for an industrial plant to be converted into a religious center.”
He urged African governments to enact industrial protection laws, strengthen public-private partnerships, and establish recovery funds for distressed factories. He also called for regulations to prevent the conversion of industrial lands into non-productive uses.
“Africa cannot develop by turning its factories into churches,” Olawale said. “Worship without work is a dangerous path to national poverty. Religion should uplift the human spirit, but industry sustains human life.”
He concluded that “the transformation of factories into religious centers is not a sign of progress but a clear symptom of Africa’s economic misdirection.”
All views expressed in this report are those of analyst Okulaja Olawale Kehinde.
PC: Okulaja Olawale Kehinde
