- TECO Group celebrated its 45th anniversary, highlighting its evolution from an agro-industrial engineering pioneer to a diversified engineering solutions provider, with a strong legacy of resilience, innovation, and indigenous competence.
- The company reaffirmed plans to expand its workshop capacity, maintain its position as Africa’s largest fabricator of palm oil processing equipment, and begin exporting to West African markets in 2026, supported by global partnerships and a robust succession plan.
- Speakers emphasized TECO’s role in Nigeria’s industrial development and urged the company to scale down technology for smallholder farmers to boost agricultural productivity, while commending its diversification strategy and commitment to sustainability.
TECO Group (Total Engineering Concept), one of Nigeria’s pioneering indigenous engineering and agro-industrial engineering firms, celebrated its 45th Anniversary on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
The event brought together business partners, engineers, staff, government officials and well-wishers to honour the company’s remarkable legacy and contributions to Nigeria’s industrial and agricultural development.
In her opening remarks, Executive Director Funmi Babatunde-Dada reflected on TECO’s journey over the decades. She recalled with nostalgia how she presented a bunch of flowers to the then Military Governor of Ondo State, the late Rear Admiral Sunday Abiodun Olukoya, at the commissioning of the TECO Factory in Owo in 1991.
Drawing from a previous NGX report, which stated that only 50 companies in Nigeria have crossed the 50-year mark and fewer than ten have surpassed 100 years, she explained that this is because “about 80 per cent of companies fail within the first five years and of the remaining 20%, only 30 percent outlive the first generation.”
She added that, “It is therefore no small feat that TECO has been in existence for nearly 50 years and it is now being managed by the second generation. TECO was born out of a vision for indigenous engineering excellence and entrepreneurship of the founder, Engineer Charles Aladewolu, FNSE, supported by his wife, Dr. Mrs. Victoria Aladewolu.”
She noted that doing business in Nigeria over the last 45 years has come with challenges, including economic instability, infrastructure deficits, limited access to finance, and the recent wave of “japa”, which continues to affect talent availability; factors she said explain why many companies do not endure.
She attributed TECO’s success to resilience, human capital investment and, in her words, “the power of the Holy Spirit.” She added that the company’s investment in people has paid off, with some staff remaining in the company for over 15 years.
In his welcome address, the Founder and Chairman, Engr. Charles Aladewolu, described the Holy Spirit as “the senior business partner of the company and the helper of destiny.” He shared memories from his childhood observing his grandmother labour through the tedious manual processing of palm oil, an experience that shaped his desire for a more efficient and hygienic process. While studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Lagos, he became committed to finding a solution.
After graduating in the early 1970s, he continued researching improved palm oil processing methods. This journey led him, in 1980, to Stork Amsterdam B.V., a Dutch company that engineered and installed palm oil processing plants worldwide. “A joint venture between the two parties was signed and TECO STORK Nig. Ltd was born,” he said.
Engr. Aladewolu highlighted TECO’s diversification from its agro-allied roots into oil and gas engineering services, including the assembly of low- and medium-voltage switchgears at its Lagos office. Speaking on future plans, he stated: “We are expanding the capacity of our workshop to the latest machines and equipment. TECO workshop is now the largest workshop for fabricating palm oil processing equipment in the whole of Africa. It is our plan to start exporting our equipment to other West African customers in 2026.”
He reaffirmed the durability and efficiency of the company’s equipment and noted that TECO’s engineers are trained to respond within hours when servicing or repairs are required. He also referenced the company’s well-laid succession plan, saying it has prepared the next generation for leadership and positioned the company to be transgenerational. He expressed appreciation to their foreign partners in Malaysia and the Netherlands “for keeping the company abreast of the latest developments globally and giving us access to training facilities.”
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Ondo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Engr. Leye Akinola, the Director of Engineering in the Ministry, Engr. Caleb Olowojola, commended Engr. Aladewolu for his exceptional achievements and conveyed the goodwill of the government and people of Ondo State. “This anniversary is a testament to the enduring power of a compelling vision, disciplined execution and purposeful innovation,” he said.
“Your 45-year achievement is evidence that indigenous competence is possible, scalable, and globally competitive,” the commissioner added. He further appealed to TECO Group to consider scaling up the production of palm oil processing machines that cater to smallholder farmers. “We all know that Nigeria’s agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farmers. Your vision was birthed from seeing your grandmother doing the arduous job of extracting palm oil manually. We still have millions of people in Nigeria who do this arduous task, and such is what makes agriculture less attractive to young people. Smallholder farmers produce about 56% of our national food supply, yet they rely almost exclusively on manual labour; a method that is neither productive nor sustainable. Therefore, I pose this critical question: How can TECO scale down its technology to meet the needs of these smallholder farmers?” the commissioner stressed.
“My message and that of the good people of Ondo State is simple and strategic: Scale down to scale up. Serve the small to dominate the large. Build simple machines to create massive impact” the commissioner added.
Speaking on TECO’s diversification strategy, the Commissioner noted: “Diversification is the hallmark of companies that seek longevity. TECO’s multisectoral presence means it has the technical depth to support Nigeria’s agricultural renewed transformation agenda, especially as we work to industrialise the agricultural value chain.”
Founded in 1980, TECO Group has evolved into a leading indigenous engineering solutions provider with expertise spanning agro-processing machinery manufacturing, engineering services and electrical solutions. As TECO celebrates 45 years of innovation, resilience and impact, the company reiterates its commitment to advancing industrial development in Nigeria and across West Africa.
