Guinness Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s leading total beverage alcohol firm and a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, has revealed its unaudited financial results for the nine months ending March 31, 2024, demonstrating both durability and agility in navigating a challenging economic landscape.
In a year of exceptional difficulty, Guinness Nigeria achieved a solid 28% year-on-year sales growth, hitting N220.3 billion from N172.47 billion the previous year. This notable spike was especially noticeable in Q3, with a stunning 44% acceleration, indicating a strategic shift in the face of changing market conditions.
Despite increasing inflation rates, currency devaluation, and escalating food insecurity, Guinness Nigeria displayed exceptional resilience by employing proactive pricing strategies and optimising product offers, with a focus on premium categories, to maintain growth momentum.
Furthermore, the corporation increased its emphasis on consumer connection and trade support, utilising its digital platforms. Notably, non-alcoholic malt, ready-to-serve beverages, and international premium spirits all saw significant revenue growth, demonstrating the success of these tactics. Operating profit increased by 27% to ₦N22.21 billion, reflecting solid revenue performance and increased productivity despite inflationary pressures.
However, despite these victories, obstacles remained, most notably substantial unrealized forex losses totaling N81 billion. This was due to the continuous devaluation of the Naira, which closed the quarter at N1,351/$1. Despite this loss, recent patterns point to a reversal, with the Naira showing signs of stability in recent weeks, providing a glimmer of optimism for prospective exchange rate improvements in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.
Guinness Nigeria Plc
Looking ahead, the Board is confident in the company’s carefully constructed strategy. The Board is dedicated to regularly analysing this approach in response to the changing business landscape in order to provide returns to shareholders while also creating long-term value for all stakeholders.