By Fatima Saka
Champion Breweries Plc has moved to expand its presence in Nigeria’s beverage market through a strategic partnership with Bature Brewery to produce and distribute three locally developed craft beer brands nationwide.
The partnership will see Champion Breweries manufacture, package and distribute Lagos Lager, Black Gold Stout and Harmattan Haze at its brewery in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, leveraging its production capacity and national distribution network to widen access to the products.
Malolan Sampath, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Champion Breweries, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday in Lagos.
Under the agreement, Thistlerock Enterprises Ltd., the owner of Bature Brewery, will license the three brands to Champion for production and distribution across Nigeria while retaining ownership and control of product development, brand strategy and consumer engagement.
Bature will also continue to serve its hospitality accounts in Lagos directly.
The agreement further provides Champion with an option to acquire the brands, including their trademarks, recipes and goodwill, subject to the achievement of an annual sales target of 40,000 hectolitres.
The proposed acquisition will be based on a pre-agreed, performance-linked valuation and will require relevant corporate and regulatory approvals.
Sampath said the partnership aligned with Champion Breweries’ ambition to build a diversified beverage business through brand ownership, operational capacity and strategic collaborations.
“Our ambition is to build a diversified beverage business that creates value through the brands we own, the capabilities we develop and the partnerships we establish,” he said.
He described Bature as a strong example of the opportunities available to distinctive Nigerian brands, adding that Champion would deploy its manufacturing expertise and distribution network to help such products reach wider markets.
Sampath expressed confidence that combining Bature’s creativity and innovation with Champion’s operational capabilities would create value for both businesses and contribute to the long-term growth of Nigeria’s beverage industry.
Similarly, Kevin Conroy, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bature Brewery, described the partnership as a major step towards taking the brewery’s products beyond its established Lagos market.
Conroy said Bature was founded on the belief that Nigeria could produce world-class craft beers with distinctive local character and identity.
He said the brewery was proud of the community it had built around its products in Lagos, noting that the partnership would allow more Nigerians to experience its offerings without compromising the originality and creativity behind the brands.
“This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for us. It means more Nigerians will have the opportunity to discover and enjoy our beers, while we stay true to the creativity, originality and passion that made Bature what it is today,” he said.
He disclosed that the nationwide rollout would begin in phases, with Lagos Lager scheduled for launch at the Calabar Festival in December 2026.
READ ALSO: Unicorns Club Donates ₦500,000 to Support 11 Indigent Patients at FMC Abuja
NiDCOM 9th Summit: Targets $100bn Annual Diaspora Investment
Harmattan Haze is expected to follow in the first quarter of 2027, while Black Gold Stout will be introduced later in the year.
The phased rollout is expected to use the Calabar Festival, regarded as one of Nigeria’s major consumer gatherings, as an entry point for introducing the brands to a wider national audience.
About The Author
