Nigeria stands head and shoulders above others when it comes to malt drink consumption. According to Food Business Africa, citing a Canadean report, Nigeria is the largest malt market in Africa, responsible for 74% of all malt sales on the continent.

The report noted that in Nigeria, malt drinks are immensely popular and are considered the perfect accompaniment to the national dish: jollof rice and fried meat.

With such immense popularity, it’s not surprising that Nigeria has the highest number of malt drink brands of any country on the continent. There are more than 10 malt drink brands jostling for the attention of the more than 200 million people living in the country.

Over half of these brands are, however, produced by local subsidiaries of three multinationals: Heineken, Diageo, and AB InBev. Heineken majority-owned Nigerian Breweries produces Maltina (the country’s oldest malt drink), Amstel Malta, and Hi Malt while Diageo-owned Guinness Nigeria produces Malta Guinness and Dubic Malt.

Meanwhile, International Breweries, which is owned by AB InBev, produces Grand Malt and Beta Malt.

A number of reasons make malt drinks popular among Nigerian consumers, chief among them being changing consumption patterns in favor of non-alcoholic drinks. Consumers seeking non-alcoholic beverages find malt drinks particularly exciting as they are produced with the same ingredients used in beer but without the alcohol associated with it.

To add to that, malt drinks are marketed as healthy drinks. Nigerian Breweries, which produces various non-alcoholic malt drink brands, has a whole article where it highlights the benefits of consuming malt drinks. According to the post, malt drinks contain soluble fibers that help improve food digestion and is also a rich source of energy-giving protein. It further notes that malt extracts contain fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin B6, which help to lower cholesterol in the body and are, therefore, good for the heart. Nigerian Breweries finally opines that the high-water content in the drink makes it great for hydration. This statement is repeated by almost all other major non-alcoholic malt drink brands in Africa, and the message resonates well with consumers who are increasingly seeking foods that improve their overall well-being.

Malt drinks’ popularity, however, extends beyond Nigeria and is very much present in much of West and Central Africa. Although Malta Guinness has found great acceptance in Nigeria, the drink was first conceived in Cameroon in 1984, and today it’s the most widely distributed malt drink in Africa. According to Guinness Nigeria, Malta Guinness is a hugely successful and profitable brand available in 11 countries – Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Gabon, and Togo.