After 17 years of silence, the machines at Okin Biscuits Limited in Offa, Kwara State, are turning again, rekindling hopes of the return of one of Nigeria’s most familiar biscuit brands. The milestone, recorded on August 25, 2026, came as biscuits rolled off one of the company’s rehabilitated production lines for the first time in nearly two decades, signalling a new chapter in the brand’s long-awaited comeback.
The return was the result of an extensive rehabilitation exercise that involved rebuilding a production line that had been severely stripped during the years of inactivity. According to the company, cables, frequency drives, contactors, motors and other electronic components had been stolen, leaving the machinery unable to operate. Restoring the line therefore required more than simply switching on old equipment; it meant painstakingly bringing a once-silent industrial system back to working condition.
Okin Biscuits was careful to describe the exercise as a technical trial run rather than a product trial. The immediate objective was not to achieve the perfect colour, appearance or familiar Okin recipe, but to answer a more fundamental question: could a production line that had remained dormant for 17 years be brought back to life? The successful operation of the machinery provided an emphatic answer. “The machines are turning. The ovens are firing. The biscuits are beginning to roll out again,” the company declared.
The development was accompanied by another major milestone as the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) officially connected the Okin factory to a 33kV Band A electricity supply. Reliable electricity remains critical to industrial production, and the connection represents an important boost to the factory’s rehabilitation programme. With power now available, the company can proceed with further testing, calibration and other technical work required to prepare the facility for eventual commercial production.
For a brand that has been woven into Nigeria’s food manufacturing story since 1980, the revival carries significance beyond the factory gates. Okin Biscuits became a familiar name to generations of Nigerians, while its Offa operation represented an important industrial presence in Kwara State. Its revival could therefore restore not only a product to the market but also a source of employment, economic activity and industrial pride to the communities that have long identified with the brand.
At the heart of the comeback is the legacy of the company’s founder, Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye (CON, OON), the former Asiwaju of Offa. The company recalled his belief that genuine success should uplift the community from which it emerged. Rather than establishing his enterprise elsewhere, he chose Offa as a centre for job creation, industrial development and family empowerment. That philosophy, the company says, remains central to its renewed journey, with a commitment to serving the people of Offa and Ijagbo while producing quality goods from Kwara State.
Yet, the road back to the market is not over. Okin Biscuits says more testing, calibration and rehabilitation must be completed before full commercial production can resume, while the familiar Okin taste and quality must be restored to the required standard. No date has been announced for the brand’s full return to supermarket shelves and shops. For now, however, the significance of the moment is captured in the company’s simple comeback message: after 17 years, the line runs again. One step at a time, Okin is coming back.
