A fresh wave of industrial investment is reshaping parts of Nigeria’s beverage manufacturing landscape as the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd., a member of the Coca-Cola HBC Group, advances its long-term expansion strategy with the commissioning of three new production lines across two key states.
The development, which spans two new lines at the Asejire plant in Oyo State and another at the Challawa plant in Kano State, underscores the Coca-Cola System’s ongoing commitment to its $1 billion, five-year investment programme in Nigeria. It also reflects a broader effort to deepen local manufacturing capacity and reinforce supply chain integration across the country.
The commissioning ceremony drew senior government representation, including Senator John Owan Enoh, Honourable Minister of State for Industry at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, highlighting the significance of the expansion within Nigeria’s industrial development agenda.
Expanding industrial capacity across regions
At the Asejire facility, NBC introduced two new production lines described as world-class and globally benchmarked, fitted with advanced bottling technology designed to improve efficiency and scale output. In Kano State, the Challawa plant—an operational base that has supported NBC’s presence since 1982—also received a new production line built to similar international standards.
Together, these additions strengthen NBC’s manufacturing spread across both southern and northern Nigeria, reinforcing its long-standing operational footprint and extending capacity in communities where it has maintained decades of presence.
The company says the new installations represent only the first phase of a broader expansion plan, with additional production capacity expected across its plants in 2026. This builds on more than US$1.5 billion already invested in NBC’s Nigerian operations over the past decade.
A long-term bet on Nigeria’s economy
Announced in 2024, the Coca-Cola System’s wider investment strategy commits up to US$1 billion over five years, subject to a stable and enabling business environment. NBC’s leadership has consistently positioned such investments as part of a long-term belief in Nigeria’s economic potential.
Speaking at the ceremony, Goran Sladic, Managing Director of NBC, framed the latest expansion as both a continuation of legacy and a forward-looking commitment.
“NBC has been part of Nigeria’s growth story for 75 years. Since 1951, we have invested in people, infrastructure, manufacturing capability, and communities across the country. We are, proudly, a Nigerian company. The three new production lines we are commissioning today at Asejire and Challawa are proof of what is achievable when that commitment is matched by an enabling policy environment, and a signal that we intend to be part of this country’s story for the next 75 years and beyond.”
His remarks positioned the expansion not just as a business decision but as part of a sustained industrial partnership with Nigeria spanning generations.
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| L-R: Chief Adviser to the Minister of State for Industry, Professor Anoka Njan; Managing Director, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Goran Sladic; Minister of State for Industry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh; Supply Chain Director, NBC, Franz Schepping; Senior Director, Technical Operations, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Bolanle Kola-Raji; and Senior Director, Franchise Operations, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Soji Awotiwon, at the official commissioning of NBC’s production capacity enhancement programme at the Asejire Plant, Oyo State, marking a key milestone in the company’s 75th anniversary celebrations |
Beyond manufacturing upgrades, the Coca-Cola System’s footprint in Nigeria continues to carry significant economic implications. A 2024 socio-economic impact assessment conducted by global consultancy Steward Redqueen estimated that the system generated $1 billion in value-added economic activity while supporting more than 160,000 livelihoods across its value chain.
The report also noted a strong multiplier effect, estimating that for every direct job within the system, 53 additional jobs are supported across related sectors in Nigeria. In terms of local procurement, the system reportedly sourced $601 million worth of goods and services from Nigerian suppliers in 2024 alone, highlighting deep integration with domestic industries beyond factory operations.
Government perspective on industrial growth
For policymakers, NBC’s latest expansion was presented as part of a broader national industrial narrative. Senator John Owan Enoh, speaking at the commissioning, emphasized the symbolic and practical importance of long-standing private sector investment in Nigeria’s development.
“Seventy-five years is not merely an anniversary; it is an argument; an argument that Nigeria is worth believing in, made not in words but in plant and payroll, and sustained across three generations. When an established company deepens its capacity, lengthens its local supply chains, and spreads opportunity across Nigeria, it is not merely expanding a business. It is helping to write the industrial story this country has resolved to tell.”
Marking 75 years with a symbolic release
In addition to the new production lines, NBC used the occasion to unveil a 75th Anniversary Commemorative Product Label. The limited-edition design was presented by the Managing Director to the Minister, symbolizing the company’s long-standing presence in Nigeria since 1951 and celebrating what it described as “75 years of refreshing Nigeria.”
The commemorative gesture was positioned as a tribute not only to the company’s corporate milestone, but also to the millions of Nigerians who have contributed to and participated in its decades-long journey.