International Beer Brand ‘Budweiser’ To Enter Nigeria In 2018

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Anabelle Degroot, the Managing Director of International Breweries Plc, in a report obtained by Brand Spur, stated the company’s future plans including merger updates, new products as well as the start of the Shagamu Brewery.

The Shagamu brewery which is expected to cost $250 million will open for operations by the second quarter of 2018. As AB InBev’s (formally SAB Miller) fourth brewery in Nigeria, this brewery, which is one of the company’s biggest in Africa was built to address supply constraint that has limited offtake of the company’s brands (Hero, Trophy, etc.) at the place of purchase.

She further stated as per the merger – the enlarged entity is expected to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) by the end of 2017. The company’s current expansion plans will, however, lead to limited rationalization of jobs post-merger. International Breweries will also undertake a name change next year to reflect the interest of the combined entities.

The company also intends to introduce their international brands Budweiser and Eagle Beer into the Nigerian market while also enforcing the federal government’s local content drive with the local sourcing of about 70% of raw materials such as cassava, millet and sorghum as well as packaging materials used by the company.

Anabelle Degroot sounded confident on how the International brewery is handling its competition as she said ‘it is a top priority for the business to know the competition as this helps drive International Brewery’s strategies.’

International Breweries is a subsidiary of AB Inbev the world’s largest brewer. AB Inbev has over 500 beer brands sold in over 150 countries including popular brands Stella Artois and Budweiser and employs over 200,000 people. The company was listed on the NSE in 1995.