Meet MARKETING EDGE 2021 Awards’ sponsor – Nigerian Breweries Plc
Nigerian Breweries Plc, the foremost and largest brewing Company in Nigeria was incorporated in 1946 and acquired the rights to market the Heineken rand in Nigeria. In 1949, however, the company started brewing in Nigeria when the first bottles of STAR Lager Beer rolled out of its Lagos Brewery bottling lines. From its headquarters at Iganmu, Lagos, it serves the Nigerian market and exports to other parts of West Africa. The Company is engaged in the brewing, marketing and selling of lager, stout, non-alcoholic malt drinks and soft drinks.
The premier brewing company started widening its frontiers in 1957 when it commissioned its second brewery in Aba. This was followed by Kaduna Brewery in 1963 and lbadan Brewery in 1982. With presence in the three regions of the country, Nigerian breweries effectively took over the Nigerian beer market.
In 1990, following the coming into effect of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the name of the company was changed to “Nigerian Breweries Plc” to reflect its public limited liability status. In 1993, the Company acquired its fifth brewery in Enugu and in 2003, a sixth brewery (Ama Brewery), sited at Amaeke Ngwo in Enugu State was commissioned. Operations in the old Enugu Brewery were discontinued in 2004 following the completion of Ama Brewery. An ultramodern malting plant was acquired in Aba in 2008.
With the expansion in brewing plants came a corresponding expansion in product offer. The company has several brands, including: Star Lager, Gulder lager beer, Legend Extra Stout, Heineken Lager, Sona Breweries, Gold, Tusk, Wilfort Dark Ale, and non-alcoholic Maltonic, Goldberg Lager, Life Continental Lager, Star Lite Lager, Ace Passion Apple Spark, 33 Export Lager, Williams Dark Ale, Turbo King Stout, Breezer in three varieties of fruit-flavoured bacardi drink, Ace Roots, Star Radler, Desperados Tequila-Flavoured Pale Lager, Ace Rhythm, Star TripleX, Strongbow Cider, Maltina in three varieties, namely Maltina Classic, Maltina Strawberry, and Maltina Pineapple; Maltina Sip-it, in Tetrapak; Amstel Malta, Fayrouz, in pear, pineapple and exotic flavour, Climax Energy drink, Malta Gold, Himalt, Maltex.
Today, Nigerian breweries Plc operates over 10 breweries and approximately two malting plants in Aba and Kaduna. This is as a result of the company’s acquisition of majority equity interests in two companies, Sona Systems Associates Business Management Limited (“Sona Systems”), with two breweries in Ota and Kudenda, Kaduna, and Life Breweries Company Limited (“Life Breweries”) with a brewery in Onitsha. Another malting plant (located in the Kudenda, Kaduna Brewery) was acquired as part of the Sona Systems acquisition. Sona Systems and Life Breweries were merged with the Company in the middle of 2012. At the end of 2014, an enlarged Nigerian Breweries Plc emerged from a merger with Consolidated Breweries Plc. Three breweries at lmagbon, near ljebu-Ode, Awo-Omamma, near Owerri and Makurdi were added to the existing eight breweries as a result of the merger. The Onitsha and Makurdi locations were subsequently developed into Distribution Centres. It also focuses on ancillary business, which includes manufacturing cans, labels, cartons and bottles and the export angle of the business.
Thus, from a humble beginning in 1946, the Company now has nine fully operational breweries from which its high quality products are produced and distributed to all parts of Nigeria, in addition to the two malting plants in Aba and Kaduna. It also has Sales Offices and Distribution Centres across the country. Nigerian Breweries Plc has a rich portfolio of high quality brands. Indeed, for over 74 years Nigerian Breweries has pursued a philosophy of brewing iconic and world class brands. The various alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands on the stable of Nigerian breweries are leaders and major players in their various markets.
As a brand that considers itself a development partner with Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries has continued to live up to expectations of being a responsible corporate citizen. It has been involved in several corporate social responsibilities driven initiatives. Its footprints on CSR dot the Nigerian landscape across geo-political zones. This has largely contributed to its brand equity and acceptance in the ever dynamic beer market. For decades, it has remained the market leader in the Nigerian beer market.
Nigerian Breweries is a recipient of several awards and recognitions in other areas of its operations including product quality, marketing excellence, productivity and innovation, health and safety, corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
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