• Nigerian Breweries and Guinness Nigeria announce price hikes due to rising operational costs
• New prices for selected beverages will take effect in March amid economic pressures
• Consumers may face increased retail prices for popular drinks as distributors adjust pricing

Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.

Two major beverage producers in Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries Plc and Guinness Nigeria Plc, have announced plans to increase prices for some of their products, citing rising operational and production costs.

The companies disclosed the planned adjustments in separate notices to distributors, stating that the decision was necessary due to a challenging economic environment and rising costs of doing business.

The move is expected to affect a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including popular beer and malt drinks widely consumed across the country.

Nigerian Breweries announces price adjustment

According to a report by TheCable, Nigerian Breweries Plc said it would review prices for some products across its stock-keeping units (SKUs), a system used by companies to identify and track specific items in their inventory.

In a notice to distributors dated March 13, 2026, and signed by the company’s zonal business manager (west), John Oloche Ademu, the brewer stated that the new prices would take effect on March 20.

According to the company, the price adjustment is a response to rising operational expenses and increased input costs driven by prevailing economic conditions in the country.

“As the country’s economic landscape continues to evolve, we want to inform you about an upcoming price adjustment,” the notice stated.

“Due to increases in operational and input costs, we will be implementing a price increase on select SKUs, effective Friday, March 20, 2026.”

However, the company noted that distributors who place and fully fund their orders before the implementation date would still be able to purchase the products at the current prices.

Popular brands likely to be affected

Nigerian Breweries Plc produces some of Nigeria’s most popular alcoholic beverages, including Star Lager, Gulder, Legend Extra Stout, Heineken, Goldberg, Life, and Star Radler.

Its non-alcoholic beverage portfolio also includes widely consumed drinks such as Maltina, Amstel Malta, Fayrouz, Climax Energy Drink, and Malta Gold.

While the company did not list the specific products affected, the notice indicated that the increase would apply to selected items across its product lineup.

Guinness Nigeria also announces price hike

In a similar move, Guinness Nigeria Plc informed distributors that it plans to raise prices on selected products across multiple categories.

In a notice dated March 14, the company said the revised price structure would take effect from March 27.

The brewer explained that the decision was driven by the current economic climate, which has significantly increased production and operational costs.

“Following the prevailing economic conditions which have significantly impacted our cost of doing business, this is to inform you that we plan to take a price increase on selected SKUs across categories,” the notice read.

Like Nigerian Breweries, Guinness Nigeria said distributors who place fully funded orders before the effective date would still receive products at the existing prices.

Rising costs continue to pressure manufacturers

The planned price adjustments reflect the growing pressure on manufacturers in Nigeria as they grapple with higher costs of raw materials, logistics, energy, and foreign exchange.

For consumers, the move could translate into higher retail prices for beer, malt drinks, and other beverages in the coming weeks as distributors and retailers adjust to the new pricing structure.

Nigerians spent N1.54trn drinking in 9 months

A prior report by Legit.ng disclosed that Nigeria’s major publicly listed brewing companies recorded combined revenue of more than N1.54tn from beer and non-alcoholic beverages in the first nine months of 2025.

This shows the scale of consumer spending on brewery products during the period.

Unaudited financial statements released by Nigerian Breweries Plc, International Breweries Plc and Champion Breweries Plc for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, show that strong demand for beer largely drove their revenue growth.

Producers announce new price for a bag of ‘pure water

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Association of Table Water Producers in Kano state has announced an increase in the price of sachet water, popularly known as “pure water”.

The association cited rising production costs that are placing pressure on small-scale manufacturers across the state.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, the group said a bag of sachet water that previously sold for N220 will now cost a minimum of N300.

Source: Legit.ng