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Tag: NB

  • NB urged to protect Ace Root against counterfeiters

    NB urged to protect Ace Root against counterfeiters

    Trade partners of Nigerian Breweries (NB) have urged the company not to be carried away by the success of its new herbal brand, Ace Root. It should redesign its label to protect the brand from counterfeiters, they said.

    The trade partners who spoke after  unveiling Ace Root in Ibadan for the west regional market for NB, said with the unique selling point the brewery is offering to the market against its major competitors, the labeling of the product needed to be improved in order to insulate it from imitation.

    ACE Roots is brewed with African herbs, fruits and spice extracts with low sugar.

    The Managing Director, Victoria Adebayo & Sons Limited, (one of NB’s major distributors) Mrs. Victoria Adebayo, said while the taste and after-drink experience of the brand is good, the product labeling and packaging should be guarded.

    NB’s Zonal Business Manager (West),  Mr. Opeyem Oluwalusi said since the product was launched in Lagos, the brewery has been recieving concern about counterfeiting.

    He said the submission by the trade partners in Ibadan is not a surprise, adding that the firm is currently addressing the issue of labeling in order to sustain the momentum enjoyed by the product.

    NB’s Sales Director, Herbert Eze said the drink has been received with enthusiasm across the country.

    According to Eze, other strong points of the include the fact that a lot of research went into it.

    He said:“ACE Roots is the result of a painstaking customer research which Nigerian Breweries carried out. We have discovered that in addition to being young, ambitious and enterprising, today’s consumers are also African. They do not just live in Africa, Africa lives in them as well and they want some African in their food, fashion, music and drink.

    “We decided to create a product which combines all that this consumer wants and ACE Roots is the result. We have also faithfully adhered to original African recipes in the choice of fruits, herbs extracts and spices used for the drink.”

  • NB launches Ace Roots to tackle Orijin

    After finalising its merger with Consolidated Breweries (CB) PLC, which led to about 21 brand portfolios in its kitty, Nigerian Breweries (NB) has launched a new product, Ace Roots, in what industry observers described as a direct competition with Guinness Ready to Drink (RTD) brand, Orijin.

    The management of NB, after finalising the merger with CB, on December 31, last year, launched its biggest marketing onslaught against Guinness Orijin.

    The Sales Director of NB, Hubert Eze, while presenting the brand,  said the launch was informed by the quest to meet the needs of consumers and reconnect them to an era  when herbal drinks hold sway to cure many health challenges.

    He said though NB is not claiming that the product is a health drink, the new product is blended with African herbs mixed with spirit.

    “We want to take our consumers back to the root. Sometimes, we don’t look back,” he said.

    While publicly doing what he called a “comparative marketing” on competitors product, Eze said with the significant growth of the ready to drink market since 2008 that is majorly driven by Orijin, NB is coming to the market with a unique selling point.

    “Nigerian Breweries entered the Ready to Drink (RTD), market with Ace and Breezer, the growth of the market is driven by Orijin. Orijin was introduced with bitters and RTD and Orijin was driven by mouth and words based on myths and fallacies. But the claims were not equal to reality,” he said.

  • ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ rally ends

    The Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc, in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has held the last of its 2014 ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ rallies at Agege Motor Park in Lagos.

    The campaign, which focused on responsible consumption of alcohol, was held in Makurdi (Benue State) Onitsha, (Anambra State) and Port Harcourt (Rivers State).

    The Agege rally attracted the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Customs, Police, Nigerian Army, the National Youth Service Corps and non-governmental organisations.

    Welcoming participants, the Lagos State Sector Commander, FRSC, Hyginus Omeje, reiterated the importance of driving alcohol-free.

    “Alcohol and driving do not go together because alcohol causes loss of attention and driving requires a lot of concentration due to the lives at stake,” he said.

    The NB Plc’s Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability Manager, Mrs Emete Tonukari, said the ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ Campaign was an important part of the company’s Brewing a Better World sustainability journey.

    “We are here to enlighten drivers on the benefits of observing traffic rules and regulations and also for them not to consume any alcoholic product before driving.” They are to ensure that their vehicles are in good working condition and to rest adequately before embarking on a journey.  Safety is very important to us and we all have to be safety conscious as we ply the roads.

    The guest speaker, Dr. Oluchi Kanma-Okafor, spoke  on the effects of alcohol on driving, adding that for safety on the roads, drivers must not drink alcohol while on duty.

    The Vice Chairman of Agege Motor Park, Alhaji Fatai Alimi and representative of the Comptroller of Customs, Federal Operations, Ikeja, CSC Piyapdat Nicholas also spoke at the rally.

    Highpoints of the campaign included a drama presentation on the adverse effects of drink driving by members of the National Youth Service Corps. Participants also had a free check on their blood pressure as part of the exercise.

    It would be recalled that Nigerian Breweries signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Road Safety Corps to formalise their terms of engagement on the Don’t Drink and Drive campaign. The campaign which started in 2008 is in its seventh year and has gone round 31 major cities across Nigeria.

  • ‘How NB, Consolidated Breweries’merger will sustain market leadership’

    ‘How NB, Consolidated Breweries’merger will sustain market leadership’

    The directors of Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc and those of Consolidated Breweries Plc have reached an agreement to merge both companies. The objective is to actualise their aspiration to sustain market leadership position and also to continually create value for their stakeholders.

    This indication was captured by Chief Kolawole Jamodu, chairman, NB Plc, who, in his consent letter to shareholders, noted that the proposed merger creates a platform where significant synergies can be obtained for the benefit of shareholders, employees, customers, distributors, suppliers and the economy as a whole.

    This position is not different from that taken by Prof (Mrs) Oyinade Odutola-Olurin, chairman of Consolidated Breweries, who told shareholders in her letter that the decision to merge the two companies is primarily premised on ensuring that the company remains positioned to compete in a market that requires new strategies and new market penetration. Furthermore, she explained, the directors of both companies expect to achieve significant cost and revenue synergies from the proposed merger, which will create additional value to shareholders of both companies. The proposal for the merger will be presented to shareholders of both companies in their separate Court ordered meetings scheduled for December 4, 2014.

    Feelers from both companies have it that their directors consider the terms of the proposal fair, reasonable and in the best interest of their companies. The scheme of merger provides that the surviving entity will be NB. The proposal will require the approval of 75 per cent of the shareholders of each of the companies. Also, the merger is expected to provide an opportunity to align long-term strategic interests of the two brewing companies. Consequently, four major benefits that would accrue to stakeholders from the merger, has been identified. These include broader product offering, as the enlarged company will have an enriched product portfolio, covering all market segments (premium, mainstream and value segments), to the benefit of their customers. After the merger, Nigerian Breweries will be manufacturing products of both entities, which will also be sold and distributed across the combined sales and distribution networks of the two companies.

    The second benefit comes in the area of operational efficiency that will come by streamlining operations, optimising use of resources and eliminating duplications. Expectedly, significant cost savings arising from optimisation of combined resources to the benefit of all the stakeholders will accrue. By distributing the enlarged product portfolio through the combined network of the two companies, considerable cost savings are expected from selling / distribution expenses. Additional cost savings are also expected from increased efficiency in procurement, supply chain management and other support functions.

    The third major benefit being expected is shareholder value creation, as the improved operating efficiency and cost savings anticipated will lead to a reduction in the overall cost-income ratio. This will result in improved profit margin and consequently an increase in the value to shareholders. Interestingly, the directors are optimistic that the synergies that would be created as a result of the merger will enhance growth in shareholder value.

    Improved liquidity for shareholders is also one of the four major benefits being targeted by the merger. The scheme of merger provides for the issuance of 396,857,294 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each by Nigerian Breweries in exchange for the existing 496,071,617 ordinary shares of Consolidated Breweries at a ratio of four new shares for every five held. This means a high degree of liquidity for Consolidated Breweries’ shareholders. Consolidated Breweries, which is not listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, will in effect, acquire equities that are tradable on the stock exchange. In the post-merger environment, Nigerian Breweries will increase its volume of shares to approximately 7,960 million, which will increase market capitalisation.

    Nigerian Breweries commands the leading market share in the brewing industry and has maintained a stable growth in sales revenue over the past five years. It has grown turnover consistently from N164.21 billion in 2009 to a peak of N268.61 billion in 2013. It is expected to maintain the continuing growth trend in sales revenue in 2014. Profit performance has largely followed the stable growth in revenue. Apart from a slowdown in 2012, the company has improved profit every year in the past five years from N27.9 billion in 2009 to N43.08 billion at the end of 2013. It maintains a leading net profit margin in the breweries sector at 16 per cent in 2013 and shows a long record of regular dividend payment to shareholders.

    Consolidated Breweries, on the other hand, has also achieved a continuing growth in sales revenue in the past five years. It has improved sales revenue every year from N20.21 billion in 2009 to N33.91 billion at the end of 2013. It has also maintained profitable operations since 2009, with after tax profit increasing from N2.79 billion in 2009 to a peak of N3.22 billion in 2012. Despite a drop to N1.12 billion in 2013 due to rapid increases in finance cost and cost of sales, the company has maintained an unbroken record of dividend payment to shareholders.

  • NB Plc bags CSR award

    Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc has been named the Best Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) Company for this year. The company emerged overall winner of the award amidst stiff competition from other listed corporate organisations at this year’s edition of the annual Social Enterprise Report and Awards  in Lagos at the weekend.

    It bagged a total of four awards in categories including: Best Company in Infrastructure, Best Company in Supply Chain , CSR Practitioner of the Year and the overall Best Company in CSR.

    Its Managing Director, Mr Nico Vervelde said: “Nigerian Breweries will continue to pursue innovative social programmes aimed at lifting the society and enhancing the living standards of the citizenry.”

    Receiving award, its Corporate Affairs Adviser, Mr. Kufre Ekanem, said Nigerian Breweries Plc is delighted and humbled to have been voted the socially responsible company in Nigeria.

    He said: “We are delighted to receive this award in recognition of our humble effort in putting something back to a society we are very proud of. More importantly, we are humbled to have been voted the most socially responsible corporate citizen by the very articulate and critical jury of SERAs. This is a worthy recognition and an incentive to encourage us to do more.”

    Nigerian Breweries received the overall award as the most socially responsible corporate citizen in Nigeria in recognition of the company’s numerous CSR projects and undertakings across the country.

  • NB partners FRSC on ‘don’t drink and drive’

    NB partners FRSC on ‘don’t drink and drive’

    The seventh edition of the Don’t Drink and Drive campaign by the Nigeria Breweries (NB) Plc took off on a remarkable note recently, when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

    Thanking the FRSC for being a great partner in executing the past editions of the campaign, NB Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Mr Nicolaas Vervelde said since its launch, the company has held 27 rallies in major cities across the country to sensitise and build the capacities of commercial and private vehicle drivers, motorcycle and tricycle riders and other road users on responsible consumprion of alcohol.

    Vervelde said the Don’t drink and drive campaign is about spreading the messages of responsible consumption of alcohol which the company would continue to communicate through strategic partnership with print and electronic media especially during this “Ember” period and beyond.

    He said as part of strengthening this year’s edition, public enlightenment campaigns would be held in four cities across Nigeria namely Port Harcourt, Lagos, Onitsha and Markurdi, while there would also be capacity building workshops for officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, and the of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    He said: “We anticipate that messages communicated through these avenues will further enhance awareness of roa safety and encourage positive changes on driver’s behaviour in relation to alcoholic consumption.

    The FRSC Corps Marshal Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, praised the strong partnership between the agency and the Nigeria Breweries, adding that the MoU would further strengthen the partnership.

    He said the don’t drink and drive campaign has endured over the years because of the corporate interst of the Nigeria Breweries in safeguarding people’s lives and property on the nation’s highways.

    He challenged road users to show restraint in drinking especially when driving. He said too much alcohol in the blood; “reduces the sense of judgement of the driver, increases among others, the risk of committing speed violation, wrongful overtaking and other dangerous acts that could compromise safety.”

    Oyeyemi who challenged other corporate organisations to copy the good steps of the brewery giant, said FRSC would be looking forward to more support from all corporate organisations to further spread the message of safety.

    Oyeyemi, who said his men would go all out to ensure the success of the “DDD” campaign said the Corps has taken delivery of alcolizers from the Ministry of Works and these would be deployed by his men nationwide to arrest any driver driving under the influence of alcohol.

    “We want to make sure that we deployed the evidence based alcolizers as well use our radars and we would ensure that those caught are promptly referred to our mobile courts for quick adjudication of their cases,” he said.

    He said the agency would go all out in the next few weeks in its bid to reduce road crashes and deaths in the “Ember months”.

    The highpoint of the event was the inauguration of the Nigeria Breweries Special Corps Marshal, led by the Managing Director, Vervelde.

    Vervelde said the 3,000 special corps are employees of the company who have volunteered to carry out patrol, coordinate traffic and other perform other road safety activities within and around Lagos.

  • NB brands bag ADVAN awards for excellence

    NB brands bag ADVAN awards for excellence

    For the third year in a row, brands from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc have again bagged awards for marketing excellence. Last weekend, Star Lager Beer, Star Lite, Gulder Beer, Amstel Malta and Fayrouz soft drink shone after picking seven prestigious awards during this year’s edition of the Advertising Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) Awards for Marketing Excellence, which held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

    The Star brand clinched the gold Award for the ‘Experiential Marketing Category’ with its annual national musical concert, Star Trek.  It was also the third position in the ‘Campaign of the Year Category’ with the Shine on Nigeria campaign.

    Nigerian Breweries’ newest product, Star Lite, also stood out as it clinched the golden award for the New Brand of the Year category and second position in the ‘Innovation of the Year Category.’

    Gulder Beer was awarded second position in the ‘Consumer Promotion of the Year Category’ with its Gulder Ultimate Search Consumer Challenge. Soft drink Fayrouz also clinched the second position in the ‘Experiential Marketing Category’ with the Fayrouz L’Original Expression Show. Amstel Malta got the third position for the ‘Digital Marketing of the Year Category’ with its ‘Act the Part’, an online contest.

    Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Breweries, Nicolaas Vervelde, said the awards was a major improvement from the 2013 stands and has proved to be a testimony to the professionalism of the marketing team of Nigerian Breweries. According to him, the award would boost the company’s effort in its execution to win drive.

  • NB, FRSC seek safe driving

    NB, FRSC seek safe driving

    Nigerian Breweries Plc and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have moved to promote responsible drinking among drivers.

    They jointly held a “Don’t Drink and Drive (DDD)” campaign at the Oshodi Motor Park in Lagos, where the Managing Director of NB Plc, Mr NicolaAs Vervelde explained that this year’s campaign would be held in four states in Nigeria.

    He advised drivers to put their vehicles in good condition and obey traffic rules and regulations.

    Vervelde, who was represented by the Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability Manager, Mrs Emete Tonukari, said through the firm’s objective of winning with Nigeria, it has donated books to over 20 schools across the country and also built and renovated classrooms and libraries.

    The Lagos Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Chidi Nkwonta, warned motorists that men of the agency were out to enforce strict compliance with traffic rules in the state.

    Unit Commander, FRSC, Oshodi, Mr Samuel Ogundayo, said drinking while driving distracts drivers’ attention, adding that the most dangerous of them all are alcoholic drinks like the ones sold in motor parks across the country.

  • NB donates classroom to Abia secondary school

    It was all smiles for teachers, students and the Osokwa community, Osisioma-Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State as they trooped out to witness the handing over of an ultra-modern school block built by the management of Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc, Aba.

    The work, which was done through the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiewerei Education Trust Fund, was held at the Osokwa Secondary School field.

    The building has six classrooms with tables and chairs, a library with work stations, books and conveniences for each class rooms.

    The NB Managing Director Mr Nicholas Vervelde, described the choice of Osokwa community as part of the company’s contribution in assisting the Abia State government to boost teaching and learning, especially at the grassroots.

    Vervelde, represented by Kufre Ekanem, NB’s Corporate Affairs Adviser Lagos, said The Nigerian Breweries – Felix Ohiewerei Education Trust Fund is an education intervention fund set aside to assist their host communities or states in their areas of needs.

    He noted that the project has encouraged funding of education, research development and academic excellence since it took off in 1994.

    He listed Eziama High School, National High School, Ahiaba High School, Ohuru Primary School and Constitution Crescent Primary School as some of the beneficiaries.

    Ekanem said aside investing in the development and promotion of education in the country, the company has interest in job creation for graduates, improving the health and standard of living in the rural communities, and providing source of non-oil revenue to the governments. He urged students, teachers and the host community to maintain the facility.

    Governor Theodore Orji, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Emeka Ananaba, thanked NB for complementing government’s efforts in providing qualitative education to all Abia students.

    Osokwa Secondary School principal, Okechukwu Ahuruonye thanked NB PLC for such its large heart. Ahuruonye called on individuals and corporate organisations to come to the aid of the school as most of their structures are dilapidated.

     

  • NB expands Aba Brewery with N17b

    NB expands Aba Brewery with N17b

    The Nigerian Breweries Plc has earmaked N17billion for the expansion and modernisation of Aba Brewing plant.

    The project, which started about six months ago, would be completed in the first quarter of next year.

    Aba Brewery Manager, Mr. Ukeje Udah, disclosed these when Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State visited the company. He said it was the first major expansion work to be done in the factory since its establishment in 1955 and the second to be built by NB Plc in the country.

    “This factory has made great progress. It started with 500,000 HL and today it is producing 1.2 million HL and it is estimated that by the time the present expansion is completed in the first quarter of next year, the production capacity would more than double.”

    Ukeje also said that with the completion of the project, which involved among others, the building of a new brew hall that would be installed with state of the art machines and fitted with modern facilities, the economic benefit to all stakeholders including the Abia State government would be unprecedented.

    He promised to employ more Abia youths when the project is completed. According to him, it is not only expatriates that would work in the factory.

    “There is progress and by the time this factory is completed, it would generate more employment opportunities for our people. Remember that it is not only foreigners that would be employed, many of Abia youths would be employed here,” he added.

    On completion of the expansion project Ukeje stated, Heineken and other canned brands would be produced in the Aba Brewery, stressing that by then, the stress encountered in bringing the brands from other locations to the commercial city would be eliminated.

    Governor Orji commended the company for performing its social responsibility, stating that it was that reason that the people of the state, in appreciation, have factored themselves into the firm’s culture to the point that most communities now specifically demand for NB Plc products during marriage and other ceremonies.

    He promised that his government would tackle kidnapping in the state so as to bolster economic activities in the area.

    “We were confronted with insecurity in this area some time ago. Kidnapping was the order of the day, a development that was alien to us. We only know about armed robbery, touting and pilfering in Aba, but not kidnapping.

    “But kidnapping just came suddenly and took us by surprise,” he said, adding that the government would do more to ensure the security of lives and properties in the state.