Nigerian Breweries Completes the Acquisition Distell Nigeria

Nigerian Breweries Plc has successfully acquired an 80 percent majority stake in Distell Wines and Spirits Nigeria Limited (Distell Nigeria). This development comes after receiving the green light from the South Africa Reserve Bank, allowing Nigerian Breweries to take over shares from the South African entity, Distell International Limited, now rebranded as Heineken Beverages Holdings Limited.

The acquisition includes the shares and the import business of Distell International Limited in Nigeria. As a result, Nigerian Breweries will now manage local production and import an array of wines, spirits, and flavored alcoholic beverages from South Africa.

Distell Nigeria, known for its local production of wines and ciders under license from Heineken Beverages, brings popular brands such as Amarula Crèam Liquor, Nederburg, Drostdy-Hof, and others to the table. This integration means consumers can look forward to a broader selection of beverages, enhancing Nigerian Breweries’ offerings beyond their traditional beer products.

Hans Essaadi, Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, expressed enthusiasm about completing this deal. “This acquisition aligns perfectly with our goal to diversify our offerings. It opens up great opportunities in the fast-growing wines and spirits segment, promising considerable growth for our company,” Essaadi said.

Steve Ighorimoto, Managing Director at Distell Nigeria, also shared his excitement about this partnership’s new opportunities. “We’re thrilled about this new chapter. It’s a big step that will increase our capacity and improve our overall business performance,” Ighorimoto noted.