By Dipo Olowookere
Shareholders of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc on Thursday, March 7, 2019, approved the 25 kobo per share dividend recommended by the board of the company. This approval was at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the firm held at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos.
Also at the gathering, the shareholders authorised the board to issue bonus of one new share for every five units already held.
Recently, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc released its numbers for the 2018 financial year, where the turnover increased to N17.6 billion from N15.9 billion in 2017. Also, the profit after tax appreciated to N486.1 million from N190.5 million in 2017.
In other to reward the shareholder for standing by the company during its trying periods, the board had proposed the payment of the dividend totalling N260.5 million and the scrip dividend subject to approval.
At the meeting, shareholders passed the resolution that the sum of N104.2 million out of the existing revenue account be capitalised and distributed among the shareholders of the company whose names appear on the register of members at the close of business on Friday February 15, 2019 on the condition that the same be not paid in cash but be applied in paying in full for 208,414,000 new ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to be allotted and credited as fully paid for an among such members in the proposition of one new ordinary share for every five existing ordinary shares held by them at that date.
They said the shares so distributed shall rank equally with the existing ordinary shares in all respects except that they shall not rank for the dividend recommended for the year ended September 30, 2018 and the directors shall give effect to this resolution on receipt of necessary approvals from the authorities.
Group Managing Director of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi, who spoke at the AGM, assured that the company will continue to innovate and develop products that will keep it ahead of competition and enable it to grow its turnover while extracting better values for shareholders.
He said consistent growths in key performance indicators in successive results provided basis for assurance that the company will be able to surpass its previous performance in the current business year.
On his part, Chairman of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr Bamidele Makanjuola, attributed the success of the firm in the period under review to the strategic steps taken by the management to reengineer the business with special focus on products quality, innovation, market differentiation, customer service and consumer education.
According to him, “These efforts underscored our long-term priorities of growing revenue, controlling operating costs, and driving higher gross margins. I am pleased to report that we made great strides in cost containment and sustained positive trends in gross margins.”
He said further that, “The boost in both turnover and profitability reflected the robustness and fundamental strength of our business.”
Mr Makanjuola further urged the shareholders to continue to show more support for the company, assuring them of better returns.
