International Breweries Plc (IBPLC), a proud member of AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer with over 500 beer brands, has concluded its one-year Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) programme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The pioneering initiative, aimed at promoting responsible drinking and discouraging harmful use of alcohol, was successfully concluded leaving a positive impact on communities and members.
The RBS initiative by International Breweries was conceived by the AB InBev Foundation, the programme’s sponsor. It delivered targeted training to bar owners and managers through comprehensive sessions, simultaneously breathing new life into local communities via initiatives like clean-up exercises. The intervention programme aimed to mitigate alcohol-related harms attributed to problems such as drunk driving, underage drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol consumption by pregnant women.
These efforts were focused on encouraging positive drinking habits and mitigating the adverse effects of abusive alcohol consumption.
During the exercise, the team engaged in various outreach programmes, including health sensitisation sessions for pregnant women and those of reproductive age at the Model Primary Health Centre in Orogbum. Executive training sessions were also conducted for members of the Association of Hotel Owners and Managers at the Mimi Fish and Lounge, Old Aba Road, Rumuomasi. The initiative also extended its revitalisation efforts to Ambassador Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumene, amongst other institutions.
In Rivers State, the initiative saw 302 proprietors and administrators of alcohol service establishments get equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively implement responsible beverage service.387 servers, bar attendants, and security personnel were also trained on RBS practices, resulting in improved service delivery in the hospitality sector. The RBS project impacted a total of 9,667 persons directly and an estimated 101,663, amounting to about 5% of the population of the target Local Government Areas.
R-L: Manager, New Nigeria Foundation (NNF), Port Harcourt, Christiana Okuru, conducting the registration process for participants during the Responsible Beverage Services sensitization at the Immunization Unit, Demonstration Health Center, College of Health, Rumueme, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Mrs Edna Tekena, a bar manager who attended the training session expressed her gratitude to IBPLC for enlightening her on the dangers inherent in excessive alcohol consumption. According to her, “I appreciate International Breweries Plc for the Responsible Beverage Service training. After the training, I stopped serving pregnant women requesting for alcohol and I have been educating them on the dangers of consuming alcohol while pregnant. I encourage them to abstain for the sake of having healthy babies.”
One of the pregnant women who benefited from the AB InBev-sponsored RBS campaign, Mrs Gladys Onoh, said “When I was pregnant my doctor warned me to stay away from alcohol because of the baby but when International Breweries Responsible Beverage Service came to my area in Port Harcourt with the same message I was reminded to take it seriously. Today, anytime I look at my baby I am glad I listened. I am grateful to AB InBev Foundation and International Breweries for this initiative.”
On his part, James Ogunro, a hotel owner said he has learnt how to best manage his business as an entrepreneur. “I have a better rapport with our customers as I have been equipped to manage and enlighten them on the benefits of consuming alcohol responsibly, thanks to the training I attended courtesy of the responsible beverage service programme by the AB InBev Foundation.”
Corporate Affairs Manager, Corporate Affairs and Regulatory Department, International Breweries Plc, Damian Igwe emphasised the significance of the Responsible Beverage Service programme. ‘’At International Breweries, we believe in promoting responsible consumption, and our commitment goes beyond making great products and profits; it’s also about ensuring our products are consumed responsibly because we thrive when our communities thrive”. We are satisfied with the outcome of this intervention where we have been able to train 689 people in the two years of running the programme in Lagos and Rivers states. Our training initiatives are evidence-based and backed by an evaluation and monitoring system that helps us to record progress made,” he said.
L-R: Responsible Beverage Services Manager, New Nigeria Foundation (NNF), Rivers State, Stanley Nyeche, orientating Bar Managers, at the AB InBev Foundation & International Breweries Plc sponsored Responsible Beverage Service Program held in Port Harcourt. Rivers State.
In 2015, AB InBev launched the Global Smart Drinking Goals, with a target to reduce harmful alcohol use by at least 10% in six cities by the end of 2020, this objective was successfully achieved.
L-R: Assistant Program Officer, New Nigeria Foundation (NNF), Chinwendu Obinna Osuji, presenting packs of International Breweries Beta Malt drinks to the President, Rumuoghu Community Women Group, Mrs Gladys Ovunwo, and the Secretary Mrs Edna Wogu, at the Responsible Beverage Services engagement held at a Town Hall, in Rumuoghu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In Nigeria, following the first phase of success in Lagos, over 10,000 individuals across five local governments – Ibeju Lekki LGA, Amuwo-Odofin LGA, Surulere LGA, Eti-Osa LGA, and Kosofe LGA benefited from the RBS initiative in 2022; Port-Harcourt was selected as one of the cities for the second phase roll-out which has now been completed.
Through its collaboration with relevant stakeholders such as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Beer Sectorial Group (BSG), International Breweries Plc has embarked on roadshows, outreaches, and sensitisation initiatives that have impacted over 15 million people nationwide while educating them on responsible alcohol consumption.
L-R: Secretary, Rumuogholu Community Women Group, Mrs Edna Wogu; Manager, Responsible Beverage Service (RBS), Rivers State, Stanley Nyeche; President, Rumuoghu Community Women Group, Mrs Gladys Ovunwo; Assistant Program Officer, RBS, Christiana Okuru, and Vice President, Rumuoghu Community Women Group, Mrs OluchiNyebuchi, at the AB InBev Foundation & International Breweries Responsible Beverage Service Programme targeted at Women Groups in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
By the end of 2025, IBPLC aims to extend this global best practice by further impacting communities positively and fostering a culture of responsible drinking in Rivers State.
Through the support of the ABInBev Foundation, International Breweries through its many smart drinking initiatives has been contributing to the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), and the Worldwide Brewing Alliance (WBA) in promoting responsible consumption.