Unilever Nigeria Plc

Last updated
Unilever Nigeria Plc
IndustryConsumer goods
PredecessorLever Brothers Nigeria, Unilever Nigeria
Founded1923
Headquarters
Lagos
,
Nigeria
Key people
Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe [1]
Products Close-Up (toothpaste), Pepsodent toothpaste, LUX soap, Lifebuoy soap, Rexona, Vaseline lotion and Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Blue Band Margarine, Lipton Yellow Label Tea and Knorr [1]
Revenue90.77 billion naira [1]  (2017)
12.95 billion naira [1]  (2017)
7.45 billion naira [1]  (2017)
Website https://www.unilevernigeria.com/

Unilever Nigeria Plc is a publicly listed company with trading and manufacturing interest in the consumer goods market. In 2014, it was listed among the top 20 most valuable companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. [2] Unilever Nigeria PLC is a subsidiary of Unilever Overseas Holding B.V. [3]

Contents

History

Lever Brothers

Unilever history in Nigeria dates back to 1923 when Robert Hesketh Leverhulme opened a trading post in Nigeria under the business name, Lever Brothers (West Africa) Ltd. The firm was primarily engaged in trading of soap and in 1924, the name was changed to West African Soap Company. [4] Sensing opportunity in the country, the firm opened a soap factory in Apapa in 1925. The company later expanded into the production of food products, it opened a new soap factory in Aba in 1958 and changed its name to Lever Brothers Nigeria Limited in 1955. In 1960, Lever Brothers introduced Omo detergent into the market, the new product gained traction among buyers, prompting the firm to commission a factory to manufacture Omo detergents in 1964. [4]

In compliance with the indigenisation decree of 1972, Unilever became a publicly listed company in 1973, selling 60% of its shares to the Nigerian public. The company became a Nigerian owned firm. The change in equity ownership did not affect the firm's growth. In 1982, the firm began producing edible products such as Royco, Blue band and Tree top in Agbara, Ogun State. [4]

In addition, the company went through a period of mergers and acquisition; acquiring Lipton Nigeria in 1985 and later merging with Vaseline manufacturer, Chesebrough Products Industries in 1988. During this period, the company embarked on a backward integration scheme in order to source its raw materials locally. This business decision led the company to invest in crop production and oil palm milling. The company also invested in a tea plantation in Mambilla to provide raw materials for Lipton. [4]

Unilever

In 1995, Lever Brothers, 40% owned by Unilever merged with Unilever Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Unilever U.K. The merger gave Unilever control of the newly merged entity, this was the first time since the indigenisation decree was scrapped that a multinational will have majority equity in a quoted Nigerian company. [5] Prior to the merger, in 1994, Unilever group acquired A.J. Seward, a personal care products manufacturer from UAC Nigeria. [6]

In 2001, the company changed its name to Unilever Nigeria Plc.

Products

Unilever Nigeria Plc is involved in the manufacturing and marketing of foods and food ingredients as well as home and personal care products. The company has manufacturing plants in Agbara, Ogun State and Oregun, Lagos State. [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unilever</span> British multinational consumer goods company

Unilever is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, toothpaste, pet food, pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products, tea, breakfast cereals, beauty products, and personal care. Unilever is the largest producer of soap in the world, and its products are available in around 190 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lever Brothers</span> UK consumer staples company

Lever Brothers was a British manufacturing company founded in 1885 by two brothers: William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), and James Darcy Lever (1854–1916). They invested in and successfully promoted a new soap-making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson. Lever Brothers entered the United States market in 1895 and acquired Mac Fisheries, owner of T. Wall & Sons, in 1925. Lever Brothers was one of several British companies that took an interest in the welfare of its British employees. Its brands included "Lifebuoy", "Lux" and "Vim". Lever Brothers merged with Margarine Unie to form Unilever in 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindustan Unilever</span> Indian consumer goods company

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is a British-owned Indian consumer goods company headquartered in Mumbai. It is a subsidiary of the British company Unilever. Its products include foods, beverages, cleaning agents, personal care products, water purifiers and other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rinso</span>

Rinso is a brand name of laundry soap and detergent marketed by Unilever. The brand was created by Robert Spear Hudson and originally branded Hudson's Soap, which was sold to Lever Brothers of Port Sunlight, England, in 1908. It was introduced in the United States by Lever Brothers Company in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surf (detergent)</span> British laundry detergent brand

Surf is a British brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed around the world by Unilever, except in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, where it has been owned by Sun Products since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vim (cleaning product)</span> Household cleaning product

Vim is the name of a range of household cleaning products originally produced by Lever Brothers. The Vim brand is currently owned by the German multinational company Henkel, and the British multinational company Unilever in Canada and Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persil</span> German brand of laundry detergent

Persil is a German brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed by Henkel around the world except in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Latin America, China, Australia and New Zealand, where it is manufactured and marketed by Unilever. Persil was introduced in 1907 by Henkel. It was the first commercially available laundry detergent that combined bleach with the detergent. The name was derived from two of its original ingredients, sodium perborate and sodium silicate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunlight (cleaning product)</span>

Sunlight is a brand of laundry soap, laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent manufactured and marketed around the world by Unilever, except in the United States and Canada, where it has been owned by Sun Products since 2010.

The United Africa Company of Nigeria is a Nigerian publicly listed company based in Lagos. Its areas of operation include manufacturing, services, logistics and warehousing, agricultural and real estate. UACN's food operations include UAC Franchising, UAC Restaurants and UAC Dairies. It also has equity stake in UACN Property Development Company, a quoted firm, CAP Plc, makers of Dulux paints and Portland Paints, manufacturers of Sandtex paints.

Lilleborg AS is a major hygiene and cleaning article company in Norway, owned by the Orkla Group. It was established in 1833, and was one of the first companies in Norway to start manufacturing brand name products. It currently operates three factories in Norway, and employs a total working staff of 595.

Unilever Pakistan Limited, formerly Lever Brothers Pakistan Limited(Urdu: یونی لیور پاکستان), is a Pakistani fast-moving consumer goods company based in Karachi. It is a subsidiary of the British multinational company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lever Brothers Factory</span>

The Lever Brothers Factory in the Sydney, Australia suburb of Balmain was a soap factory which operated from 1895 until 1988. It employed many people from the local area and its large industrial buildings were a prominent feature of the landscape. Most of the site was demolished in 1996 to make way for a new apartment complex and only three of the original buildings remain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breeze detergent</span>

Breeze is a brand of laundry detergent manufactured by Unilever that is currently marketed as the counterpart of OMO detergent for the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Cleaning Products Industry Association</span>

The UK Cleaning Products Industry Association is the leading trade association for companies representing UK producers of cleaning and hygiene products. This includes soaps, washing powders and liquids, household disinfectants, air care and polishes, as well as professional cleaning and hygiene products used in industrial and institutional applications.

Unilever Philippines, Inc. is the Philippine subsidiary of British multinational company, Unilever. It is based in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig since 2016. It is a manufacturer of laundry detergents and soaps, shampoos and hair conditioners, toothpastes, deodorants, skin care products, household cleaners, and toilet soaps with an annual sales of over 40 billion pesos. It employs over 1,000 people nationally. It is the largest polluter in the Philippines.

PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc is a publicly listed Nigerian manufacturer and distributor of consumer products such as detergents, toiletries, soaps and home appliances. It is a subsidiary of the British company PZ Cussons Holdings, which owns controlling shares in the firm.

Upfield Holdings B.V. is a Dutch food company owning multiple brands of margarine, food spreads, and plant-based foods, including Flora and Blue Band. It states that it is the largest plant-based consumer packaged goods company in the world, operating in 95 countries.

Nestle Nigeria Plc is a publicly listed food and beverage specialty company headquartered in Lagos. It's mostly owned by a holding company based in Switzerland and have ties to the company Tolaram Group. The company was founded in 1961 and conducted trading under the name of Nestle Products Nigeria Limited. It has its main factory in Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State. The firm manufactures breakfast cereal, baby food products, food seasoning and hydrolyzed plant protein mix.

Skip is a brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed by Unilever in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Argentina and South Africa. In the past it was also marketed in Germany, but it was discontinued in 2009. It is Unilever's top-of-line detergent brand in the countries where it is marketed and features the splodge-like logo similar to British Persil.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Annual Report & Financial Statements 2017 - Unilever Nigeria Plc". Unilever East & West Africa. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  2. "The 20 Most Valuable Companies In Nigeria - Nigerian Bulletin - Trending News". Nigerian Bulletin - Trending News. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  3. Capital Bancorp Plc (September 25, 2014). "EQUITY RESEARCH REPORT" (PDF).
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ojigbo, Lamine (1993). "Supplement on Lever Brothers at 70". Management in Nigeria. ISSN   0025-178X.
  5. Adams, Paul. "Unilever's Nigeria Deal Approved." Financial Times, 21 Nov. 1995, p. 24. The Financial Times Historical Archive,
  6. Obiyan, A. Sat; Amuwo, Kunle (2012-11-15). Nigeria's Democratic Experience in the Fourth Republic since 1999: Policies and Politics. University Press of America. p. 392. ISBN   978-0-7618-5955-0.
  7. "Unilever Nigeria Plc Company Profile - Nigeria | Financials & Key Executives | EMIS". www.emis.com. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  8. Reuters Editorial. "UNILEVE.LG - Unilever Nigeria Plc Profile | Reuters". www.reuters.comundefined. Retrieved 2021-06-10.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)