Shareholders of Berger Paints Nigeria Plc have endorsed the recommendation of the Board of Directors for a dividend of N232 million for the financial year 2023, up from N203 million paid in 2022.
The shareholders approved the companyโs 64th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos.
The dividend was ratified by the shareholders and amounts to a dividend of N0.80 kobo per share for its shareholders.
The dividend brings the final dividend for the review period to N1.00 per share.
The directors had approved and paid an interim dividend of 20 kobo per share during the year on issued share capital of 289,823,447 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each.
Addressing shareholders at the AGM, the companyโs Chairman, Mr. Abi Ayida, explained that adherence to many sustainability initiatives enhanced the companyโs performance in the review period.
Ayida also attributed the stellar performance to five key pillars: product innovation, market expansion, operational efficiency, customer experience, and strategic partnerships.
The chairman noted that despite the challenging operating environment in 2023, a review of the financial result shows improved performance across all financial indices.
The Managing Director, Mrs. Alaba Fagun, stated that the performance is a testament to synergistic collaboration between the workers and the companyโs strategic vision. According to her, the management deployed a harmonious blend of financial acumen, operational resilience, and strategic foresightโ while looking forward to building upon these accomplishments, fostering sustainable growth, and delivering enduring value to our esteemed shareholders.
Shareholders of Berger Paints Nigeria Plc have commended the management for its resourcefulness in improving the companyโs fortunes in the last financial year and for paying competitive dividends and assuring them of higher shareholder value.
Commenting on the companyโs performance, the National Co-Ordinator of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association, Mrs. Adebisi Bakare, stated that the 2023 performance is a significant improvement on the previous year against the background of headwinds such as high energy cost, soaring inflation rate, and exchange rate crisis, in addition to the low purchasing power of consumers.
According to her, Berger Paints was able to maintain its leadership position in the paint manufacturing industry in Nigeria.
The Chairman Emeritus of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Chief Sunny Nwosu, expressed satisfaction with the companyโs impressive performance and commended its board and management for the balanced gender representation in their compositions.