British American Tobacco has had an operational presence in Nigeria since 1912. The Group held a 60% shareholding value in the Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC) while a 40% shareholding value was held by the Nigerian Government. By 1978, there were three operating factories located at Ibadan, Port-Harcourt and Zaria.
industry experienced a decline when an influx of illicit trade and the deteriorating infrastructure created an uncertain business environment and investment slowed. This led to closures of the Port Harcourt and Ibadan factories and a downscaling of the Zaria operations.
The election of the 1999 civilian administration brought a renewed focus on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) which led to the incorporation of British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Limited.
British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Limited was incorporated on July 11, 2000 and subsequently merged with the Nigerian Tobacco Company on November 6 of the same year. The company is a fully owned subsidiary of the British American Tobacco Group.
On September 24, 2001 the Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government of Nigeria for an investment of $150 million to build a state-of-the-art-factory in Ibadan, Oyo State. The investment started a process that has impacted all aspects of the tobacco industry, from leaf growing, through to the manufacture and distribution of tobacco products.
Under the terms of the MoU, British American Tobacco Nigeria made a committment to work with the Nigerian government in the following areas;
- Regularising the tobacco sector
- Building potential for regional exports
- Significantly increasing both the quality and quantity of tobacco grown
- Establishing an independent Foundation to address rural socio economic development
On June 17, 2003, British American Tobacco Nigeria completed and commissioned its state-of-the-art factory in Ibadan.
The factory is staffed by first class Nigerian engineers and technicians, and research shows that products manufactured in the factory are of the highest international quality. This resulted in the certification of the factory to NIS ISO 9001:2000 by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria on May 18, 2005 with recertification in February 2009.
People
Our people – both past and present – are part of our history, part of who we are today and are an essential part of our future.We attract and retain experienced managers and graduate trainees who look forward to a challenging and rewarding career. The company’s employment policies include a commitment to equal opportunity, which eschews any form of discrimination, ethnic or religious bias.
Employees in BAT Nigeria are exposed to a whole range of International assignments which is a critical developmental channel. This is aimed at ensuring our managers are able to gain exposure, share and implement global best practice in their respective locations .
Cigarette brands
In 2002, British American Tobacco Nigeria took a decision to localise the manufacture of our brands with a subsequent improvement in product quality and freshness. Our international brands which were previously imported - such as Benson and Hedges, St. Moritz, Rothmans, Consulate, London, Pall Mall and Royal Standard - are now produced in Nigeria.
