By Dipo Olowookere
The management of Golden Guinea Breweries Plc has been applauded by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for reviving the business after 17 years of inactivity.
This commendation was given by the president of the National Council of the NSE, Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, during a visit to the company’s factory.
Mr Ogunbanjo, who was accompanied by the NSE’s Divisional Head in charge of Listing Business, Mr Olumide Bolumole, explained that the visit was to assist the company to achieve more impressive heights.
At the NSE, we are dedicated to helping issuers derive optimal value from their interaction with the market.
“As such, we have identified various opportunities for us to provide assistance in terms of enhanced regulatory support, capacity building, and engagement sessions,” he said.
The NSE representatives, who also visited the Governors of Imo and Abia States, Mr Hope Uzodinma and Mr Okezie Ikpeazu, respectively, applauded them for their leadership efforts at promoting socio-economic development and improving the lives of citizens in the states.
Mr Ogunbanjo specifically commended the Abia State government on its key contributions to the significant progress of Golden Guinea Breweries.
He said the exchange continues to provide a platform for issuers and investors to meet their investment objectives even in these unprecedented times.
“There are opportunities for the listing of infrastructure bonds and privatisation of state-owned enterprises to improve performance and transparency, enhance visibility and improve direct and indirect revenues for the state governments,” he said, noting that the capital market ecosystem will, therefore, be eager to see responses from Abia and Imo State governments in this regard in the near future.
Business Post reports that Golden Guinea Breweries, which started production in 1963, got into the trouble waters as a result of a fire incident in 2003 at its factory.
Though efforts were made to get the company back into production after the burnt boilers were replaced and an entirely new line of production was installed, due to the financial crisis of 2015 and the skyrocketing cost of the dollar, the company ran into another problem actuated by the cost at which needed equipment was invoiced and the prevailing cost of FOREX at the time of payment and delivery.
Three years later, a grant of N3.6 billion was given to the management of Golden Guinea Breweries Plc to revive the company and last year, a slight production reportedly commenced and in March 2020, a businessman, Mr Okey Nzenwa, through his company, Pan Marine Investment Limited, pumped a fresh capital worth about N1.2 billion into the brewery firm.
Golden Guinea Breweries Plc, a company based in Umuahia in Abia State, holds franchise rights to produce and market Golden Guinea Beer, Holsten Brewery’s Bergedorf premium lager beer and Bergedorf Malta in Nigeria.
Adedapo Adesanya