The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Unilever

  • Emefiele hails Unilever’s contributions

    Emefiele hails Unilever’s contributions

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has described Unilever Nigeria as a company that has shown and demonstrated confidence in the Nigerian economy.  This,it hasdone,  through continuous investment drive in the country.

    Emefiele spoke at the official opening Unilever Nigeria Blue Band factory in Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State.

    The factory, which was built with innovative manufacturing technology, complements government’s efforts at boosting local investment and making significant contributions to the nation’s economic growth and development.

    “The siting of this factory could not have come at a better time than this. With this development, you have shown resilience amidst the challenges that you face in running a business of this size. I commend you for this initiative and as a government, we will continue to make deliberate efforts to support and encourage companies to invest in Nigeria through our policies. This is the only way we can grow this economy and create employ opportunities for Nigerians,” the CBN boss said.

    The Executive Vice President, Unilever Ghana Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh, said the factory is the latest addition to the various long-term investments the company has made in Nigeria, which would not have been possible without the support of all its stakeholders.

    “Prior to the siting of this factory, we have also had cause to exploit economies of scale and ensure consistent access to reliable sources of raw material input. I am delighted that the result of our painstaking efforts and the support we enjoy from our stakeholders has led to the commissioning of an ultra-modern Blue Band factory today.” He said.

    Yaw said the new Blue Band factory is equipped with the Fast Blending technology to sustainably serve its consumers. This technology uses 50 per cent less energy compared to other manufacturing processes that utilize heat exchangers. This recapitulates our commitment to decouple the growth of our business from environmental impact.

     

  • Unilever Nigeria harps on oral hygiene

    Unilever Nigeria harps on oral hygiene

    Unilever Nigeria Plc, maker of Pepsodent toothpaste, has charged Nigerians to adopt good oral care practices by brushing twice daily to improve general health and quality of life.

    Speaking at the end of the National Oral Health Week yesterday, Regional Sales Manager, Middle Belt, Unilever Nigeria Plc, David Ebah, reaffirmed Unilever Nigeria’s commitment to improving oral healthcare among Nigerians.

    In 2016, Unilever Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Health to improve the oral health of children in Nigeria and educate them on the importance of brushing day and night via the Unilever Brush Day and Night Schools Programme.

    Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Toluwaleke Salu stated that since 2014, through the Pepsodent Brush Day and Night Schools Programme, Unilever has directly educated over 3.5 million Nigerian children to imbibe the culture of brushing twice daily by using a fluoride toothpaste such as Pepsodent, in order to prevent oral diseases.

  • Oral hygiene: Speakers hail Unilever

    Speakers at the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have praised Pepsodent, produced by Unilever for promoting oral hygiene.

    The PSN made the disclosure during its 90th annual conference in Umuahia, Abia State.

    Speakers at the event emphasised the importance of excellent oral hygiene, focusing on the importance of brushing twice daily.

    With its theme as Medicines Availability and National Security, the conference featured discussions on a personal approach to combat tooth ache and plaque build-up, as health experts at the event deliberated on measures to address health issues such as the prevalence of gum disease and tooth decay in Nigeria.

    In a statement, the Brand Manager, Pepsodent, Ogechukwu Anozie stated that with the organisation’s key mission to be a dependable healthcare provider of quality, safe and cost effective drugs and health information in the country.

    She said that Pepsodent, as a leading health vendor, strongly supports the responsibility of securing faster and equitable access to oral healthcare for all Nigerians.

  • Brooks+Blake wins 4th consecutive MWA PR laurel

    Brooks+Blake wins 4th consecutive MWA PR laurel

    Perception management outfit, Brooks and Blake Nigeria has won the Marketing World Awards (MWA) as the best Public Relations agency in Nigeria for the fourth year running at the 7th edition held at the Kempinski Ambassador Hotel Accra, Ghana.

    The Awards organised by Instinct Wave media recognises outstanding personalities and organisations in the marketing communication industry in Nigeria and West Africa.

    Speaking at the awards, Group Executive Publisher, Marketing World Magazine Mr. Akin Naphtal commended all nominees at the awards and promised to continue to beam the searchlight of the awards on excellence in the marketing communication field.

    “The Marketing World Award is an annual event held to celebrate and reward organisation and individuals that have delivered superior product values to the market and exhibited excellence in upholding concrete marketing strategies.

    “This year, we have chosen to identify professionalism, diligence, consistency and innovation across West Africa. The process of selection for this award was done by professionals and veterans who have developed certain indices as criteria for selection as obtainable across the world. What we are celebrating today is the can do spirit of Nigerian companies and we are proud we have them in abundance,” Naphtal said.

    In his reaction, the Principal Partner, Brooks and Blake Nigeria Limited, Mr. Sola Fijabi said his organisation is honoured to have won the award for the fourth time in a row.

    “Winning the Marketing World Award for four consecutive years is quite heartwarming. We thank all our clients who believe in us. We have been able to come this far because we are working for them.

    “Our promise is to continue being the company we are, creating new frontiers for excellence in the industry, collaborating with our colleagues to make the industry the pride of everyone, which will in turn continue to engender respect for the profession and the value it brings to the marketing communication practice,” said Fijabi.

    Some of the clients of Brooks+Blake include multinational companies like MTN Nigeria, GlaxoSmithkline Consumer and Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, and Suntory Food and Beverages.

     

    Also speaking on the recognition, the Executive Director, Brooks and Blake, Taiwo Ogunwumi, reiterated the firm’s commitment to continually maintain its exceptional delivery of service to its clients as a way to uphold the tenets of the award.

     

    “Winning consecutively for four years validates the fact that devotion and immense commitment to the clients’ needs with a clearly defined vision has its incentives. We are delighted with this experience as it indicates that we have been doing our job right and contributing our own little quota to promote the healthy growth of the marketing industry. We dedicate this award to the Brooks and Blake family and all our clients. We are thankful for the trust they put in us and it is because of them that we are constantly recognized for scaling the heights and adding value” Ogunwumi said.
    It would be recalled that Brooks and Blake earlier this year also clinched the Marketing Edge Award for the 2017 PR Agency of the year.

  • FIIRO woos Unilever on R&D commercialisation

    FIIRO woos Unilever on R&D commercialisation

    Consumer products giant, Unilever Plc and the Federal Institute for Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) are poised to seal a bilateral agreement on commercialisation of some of the research products of the institute.

    This was disclosed when a technical team from Unilever Plc visited  FIIRO office in Lagos.

    On the occasion, FIIRO Director-General Prof Gloria Elemo showed some of the researches to the delegation; saying the institute was well endowed to deliver at all time and that it was open to collaborations with Unilever in various areas.

    She called for collaboration on  product development and commercialisation, adding that the raw materials, crops and technical back-up for the exploitation of research results were available and in the right quantity and quality.

    Prof Elemo stressed that FIIRO was well positioned to see to the transfer of appropriate technologies that could catalyse industrialisation, urging  organisations and individuals  to invest in the various products that the institute had perfected.

  • FIIRO woos Unilever on R&D commercialisation

    FIIRO woos Unilever on R&D commercialisation

    Unilever Plc and the Federal Institute for Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) are poised to seal an agreement on the commercialisation of some research products.

    This was disclosed  when a technical team from Unilever Plc visited FIIRO in Lagos, during the week.

    FIRRO Director-General Prof Gloria Elemo displayed some research work to the delegation, saying the institute was well endowed to deliver any time, and that it was open to collaborations in various areas.

    She called for collaboration with Unilever on product development and commercialisation, adding that the raw materials, crops and technical back-up for exploitation of research results were available in the country and in the right quantity and quality.

    Elemo stressed that FIIRO was well positioned to effectively see to the transfer of appropriate technologies that could catalyse industrialisation.

    She said this could only be meaningful if organisations like Unilever and individuals looked inwards and invested heavily in the various areas of Research & Development (R&D) products that the Institute hadperfected on.

    “Many companies come and pick the technologies we have here and we work with them. You can come and do same. We have a lot of evidence to show our competence in the areas enumerated.

    “Today, all the breweries in Nigeria use our technology since sorghum malt replaced barley malt in the brewing industry (alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink) and this has saved the country several millions of dollars,” Elemo stressed.

    Some of the areas FIIRO boss said Unilever could leverage include food spread (jam and marmalade), cashew nut processing, fruit processing technologies  (for fruit juice extraction and bottling ), industrial enzymes production, essential oil extraction, adhesives production, soaps ,cosmetics, and  antiseptics.

    Responding, the leader of the Unilever delegation, Bridget Mayor, was amazed at the level of activities going on at the institute. She said the visit was an eye-opener to what FIIRO could do, and expressed the company’s readiness to tap into some of the research results.

    Mayor, who is the Head, R&D in Food Development Homecare at Unilever, stated that with what the team saw, their only worry would be FIIRO’s readiness in terms of guaranteeing quantity and quality of raw materials, compliance with international standards and technology transfer that could sustain commercialisation.

    She specially noted that Unilever was interested in corn and cassava starch production and spices, such as onions and garlic.

    “We are ready to partner FIRRO. FIIRRO needs to allay these fears in the above areas for immediate partnership agreement. Design and fabrication, are they world-class? Claim performance test, is it available in terms of infrastructure?” she asked.

    The FIIRO chief while assuring the team of world-class standard in its products, however, observed that organisations such as Unilever should ensure effective technology transfer to aid the commercialisation of available raw materials.

  • NSE market indicators dip further by 0.08%

    NSE market indicators dip further by 0.08%

    A total of 174.65 million shares valued at N2.83 billion were traded in 3,783 deals on the Nigerian Stock Exchange ( NSE ) on Tuesday.

    These were against the 162.74 million shares worth N1.54 billion traded in 3,225 deals on Monday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NSE market capitalisation depreciated further by N9 billion or 0.08 per cent to close at N12.012 trillion from N12.021 trillion recorded on Monday.

    The All-Share Index, which opened at 34,873.07, lost 26.25 basis points to close at 34,846.82.

    Seplat led the losers’ chart with a loss of N6.76 to close at N450 per share.

    7UP followed, depreciating by N4.48 to close at N85.82, while Nigerian Breweries dropped N2.01 to close at N167.99 per share.

    Total Oil dipped by N1.9 to close at N223.1, while PZ Cussons depreciated by N1 to close at N24 per share.

    Conversely, Nestle topped the gainers’ table with N23.9 to close at N12228.9 per share.

    It was trailed by GTBank which gained 54k to close at N38.54 per share.

    Stanbic IBTC gained 5k to close at N40, while Unilever appreciated by 2k to close at N42 per share.

    Also, Guinness up by 15k to close at N96.8 per share.

    GTBank was the toast of investors, trading 33.84 million shares worth N1.29 billion.

    FCMB came second, trading 12.58 million shares worth N12.88 million, while FBNH sold 12.53 million shares valued at N65.22 million.

    Mansard traded 11.62 million shares worth N23.12 million, while Zenith Bank sold 10.56 million valued at N232.62 million.

  • Unilever urges improved oral hygiene among Nigerians

    Unilever urges improved oral hygiene among Nigerians

    Unilever Nigeria Plc has called for improved oral hygiene among Nigerians.

    The Brand Manager, Pepsodent, Ogechukwu Anozie, who made the call at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Dental Association, held in Asaba, Delta State, said good oral hygiene improves oral health.

    She said Unilever is committed to doing business in a sustainable way and improving the lives of the Nigerians.

    This, she said, led to the firm’s partnership with the NDA and other stakeholders to create awareness on the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene.

    Anozie said 90 per cent of the world’s population suffers from oral diseases and through the Pepsodent Brush Day and Night School Programme, Unilever has educated over two million Nigerian children.

    She charged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of brushing twice daily, using a fluoride toothpaste such as Pepsodent.

    “We believe children are change agents. They have the will power to influence their parents, siblings and people around them positively, by telling them to adopt good oral care habits like brushing twice daily (morning and night),”the Unilever official added.

    A Consultant Pediatric Dentist, M.O. Ashiwaju, in a presentation titled:  “Oral Health and Fertility” described good oral hygiene as remedy to poor oral health.

    The Pepsodent Triple Protection toothpaste is a big breakthrough formulation that guarantees protection against cavities, stains and bad breath which are the most prevalent oral problems in many homes.

    Earlier this year, Unilever partnered with the NDA, Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to celebrate the World Oral Health Day and create awareness on issues emanating from poor oral health and the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene in Nigeria.

    Unilever was commended by the NDA for its support to the campaign over the years.

  • How Unilever’s proposed N58b rights issue will boost capital market

    How Unilever’s proposed N58b rights issue will boost capital market

    THE proposed N58billion rights issue by Unilever Nigeria Plc has generated a lot of excitement amongst market watchers, who have expressed optimism that the offering has the potential to further deepen the nation’s capital market.

    The company had on Thursday presented facts behind its plans to raise N58, 851,275,010.00 on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in Lagos.

    A total of 1,961,709,167 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each will be offered to existing shareholders on the basis of 14 new ordinary shares for every 27 ordinary shares held by shareholders whose names appeared on the Register of Members and transfer books of Unilever Nigeria Plc as at the close of business on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. The issue price is N30 per share.

    “Through this rights issue, we will be able to reinforce our financial flexibility to support our growth initiative, while giving shareholders an opportunity to consolidate their shareholding position. The rights issue is part of Unilever Nigeria’s long term strategic intent to strengthen the company’s capital base by deleveraging its balance sheet, support its working capital needs and position the company to exploit value creation opportunities,” said Yaw Nsarkoh Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc.

    Echoing similar sentiments, the Chairman, Unilever Nigeria Plc, His Royal Majesty Nnaemeka Achebe, stated that the rights issue represents a milestone event in Unilever Nigeria’s history as it marks the company’s first follow-on equity offering since its listing in 1973.

    According to Achebe, “the rights issue reiterates our confidence in Unilever Nigeria’s robust future and commitment to building a more enduring business in Nigeria. We acknowledge with deep appreciation the unwavering support we have received from our stakeholders and shareholders even in trying times which has enabled us deliver positive results. We urge all shareholders to support the company’s objective by participating in the rights issue to ensure the company obtains the flexibility to attain its growth objectives.”

    Speaking at the event, the CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema said: “We are particularly pleased that Unilever Nigeria Plc., has chosen to use this platform to further inform the market of this ongoing transaction and other strategic and operational involvement in the company. As the market is driven by timely, relevant and accurate information, your interaction with the market through this forum is very welcome and we encourage you to continue with this trend.”

    The offer which opened on Monday July 31, 2017 will close on Friday September 08, 2017 while Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited serves as the issuing house.

    On reasons for the rights issue, Unilever explained that the net proceeds will help the company repay outstanding foreign currency denominated liabilities, purchase additional raw materials required for Unilever’s products and to meet other working capital requirements in order to build long term value for all stakeholders.

    It would be recalled that the shareholders of the company approved the rights issue at the 92nd Annual General Meeting held in May, 2017.

  • Unilever set to raise investments in Nigeria

    As part of its commitment to invest in Nigeria, Unilever West Africa’s Vice President, Supply Chain, Siddharth Ramaswamy, has reiterated the company’s commitment to the growth of the Nigerian economy through plans to increase its investment portfolio to enhance local manufacturing.

    Ramaswamy spoke during a tour by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, to the manufacturing giant.

    According to Ramaswamy, the company, which has been in Nigeria for almost 100 years, will continue to invest in the country, despite the economic challenges.

    “Nigeria is strategic to our business operations. This is why we remain committed to the country’s socio-economic development. We currently operate two manufacturing hubs in Nigeria, and we are already taking actions to increase our local manufacturing capacity.

    ‘’There are ongoing investments, which will not only provide additional employment opportunities for Nigerians, but will deliver further economic value through the development of a sustainable supply chain structure consisting of local manufacturers”, he said.

    Dr.Onu commended Unilever for its long history in Nigeria, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to support Unilever.

    According to him, the government is working hard to improve the nation’s economy from resource-based to knowledge-based and will partner organisations, such as Unilever, through synergy with research institutions under the ministry.

    He said such visits create avenue to see how the government can assist organisations as Unilever to overcome challenges by providing the environment to grow its business through incentives and suitable legal framework.

    ‘We want companies to use more of local raw materials in production processes. Because when this happens, new jobs will be created, and our GDP will grow, thereby reducing poverty. This can only happen if we work with you and other responsible companies”, he said.

    Onu encouraged Unilever to show more interest in local research to improve its production process.

    He urged Unilever to work closely with FIIRO and other research institutions under the ministry.