As Unilever Nigeria, led by the Managing Director, Tim Kleinebenne, played host to the Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir mni, and his team at its head office, he shared the simple story of Unilever Nigeria.
“We are the longest-serving manufacturing company in Nigeria. We have been in Nigeria for over 100 years. We are committed to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria. We are here to stay.”
Kleinebenne also noted that over the years, Unilever Nigeria leverages its expertise and the power of its brands to improve the lives of Nigerians and contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s economy.
The success of Unilever’s operations in Nigeria is largely due to consumers’ widespread acceptance of our brands, and the incredible support of our shareholders and stakeholders who contribute significantly to our operations.
“Since 2020, we have consistently grown our topline and bottom line. We achieved 51% topline growth in 2023 and 41% topline growth in H1 2024. In partnership with Wecyclers, we have collected over 12,000 tonnes of plastic from the environment. Through our women empowerment initiative, Shakti, we have empowered over 13,000 women across 22 states in Nigeria. Our locally sourced raw materials input into our manufacturing is over 50% through our localisation agenda,” said Kleinebenne.
He added that a partnership with Gen U, UNICEF, Unilever Nigeria will impact 700,000 young people across higher institutions in Nigeria and provide them with skills for the future of work in a circle of three years.
Kleinebenne strongly believes that Unilever Nigeria is a force for good and that the opportunities in Nigeria are greater than the challenges. “Together, with our stakeholders in the public and private sectors, we will continue to contribute to Nigeria’s socioeconomic development through our brands and operations.” He said.
“This is our story. We are here to stay, “ he concluded.