Business

High Demand Fuels Beta Glass Capacity Expansion

Published

17 years ago

July 17, 2009

Even with the enormous challenges faced by glass manufacturers in the country, high demand for empty bottles by the beverage industry is currently fuelling capacity expansion projects in the sector.

Beta Glass Plc, for instance, has become visibly seen to be driving this development with its one-year-old glass furnace and production lines in its plants in Delta State.

The former glass furnace of Beta Glass had a melting capacity of 170 metric tons per day, fitted with four production lines. The new plant brings the company’s overall capacity to 50 metric tons, with a mega furnace that has a capacity of 220 metric tons per day fitted with five production lines. With the new capacity, the company feels more confident of meeting demand for hollow bottles by industrial sectors such as brewery, pharmaceutical and wine makers.

Beyond meeting local demand for hollow glass containers in Nigeria, Beta Glass plans to harness the expanding opportunities in the West Africa sub-region and indeed the sub-Sahara region of Africa. The major operators in the brewery sector and clients of the company include Nigeria Breweries, Guinness, and Consolidated breweries, etc.

Similar improvements in production capacity are also going on at the International Glass Industry Limited, Aba, as well as Oluwa Glass in Ondo State.

The company’s chairman, Christopher Ogunbanjo, puts the cost of the plant equipped with the most modern technology in the glass industry at N3.8 billion, and with a new glass turbine to secure energy needs for the increased capacities. “For a stable and consistent power supply, a 4.9 megawatts gas turbine has been installed”.

The furnace, in addition to the increased capacity, facilitates the production of ultra light-weight bottles for the first time in West Africa. It also uses recycled glass, which helps the envroment as it is pollution free”, Ogunbanjo revealed.

Describing the company as one of the oldest and commercial industial organisations in Nigeria, Ogunbanjo indicated that the company did not overlook the critical issue of regular electrical support needed for uninterrupted production.

Petros Diamantides, Managing Director, Frigoglass, Anthens, said in establishing the world-class operation, they not only appealed to leading equipment producers but at the same time endeavoured to increase local content and input of local expertise and services, this accounted for 25 per cent of the total cost of the project to about N1 billion. Beta Glass is a member of Frigoglass, a multinational organisation and members of the Leventis Group. The management of the company recently declared that demand for new glass packaging by breweries and soft drinks companies boosts its turnover from N7.03 billion to N9.08 billion.

According to Ogunbanjo, despite the challenges faced by the company, our turnover increased from N7.03 billion to N9.08 billion, a growth of 29 per cent that was on the back of a 37 per cent growth last year, adding that “profit after tax rose from N0.87 billion to N1.9 billion, representing a growth of 38 per cent.

“The major growth drivers were the strong continued demand in the breweries and soft drinks sector, and new glass packaging launches from our major customers. Packaging has bee recognised as an effective tool to drive sales and excitement among the consumers by our customers”, he stressed.

The chairman also noted that the company continued to develop and position itself as a strategic partner to its customers to support better value creation in their businesses through securing a reliable supply base to them at a competitive price.

To this degree, he expected quality levels as it has committed to make investments in technology improvements in light-weight bottles and capacity to support the growth of its customers.

He also revealed that the investments in capacities and technology advances to sustain growth also created pressure on the cash flow and debt position, as the debt situation remained high with resulting finance costs.

On the future prospect, he disclosed that there were credible indications that the global recession was going to deepen in 2009 and a harsh economic climate awaited industrics all over the world.

Business

Agency Gives Insight Into Its Inspection, Monitoring Operations

Published

2 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Director, South South Zone National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacist Chujwuma P.Oligbu has said its thorough implementation of its core mandate of monitoring has no link with witch-hunting or fault finding as perceived at some quarters.

Oligbu, made this known when he spoke as as guest at the maiden Rivers state Supermarkets stakeholders’ Seminar/Workshop in Port Harcourt recently.

Rather, he said they were mere opportunities for education, correction and continuous improvement.

The Agency’s South South Boss, noted that Supermarket operators who maintain transparent records, cooperate during inspections, and promptly address identified gaps demonstrate professionalism and commitment to public health standard.

He listed the deserving essence of supermarket operation to include the key aspects of supermarket operation that deserves emphasis is product sourcing.

“Supermarkets must ensure that all regulated products stocked on their shelves are duly registered with NAFDAC and sourced from legitimate manufacturers or distributors”, he said .

According to him, the presence of unregistered, expired, counterfeit, or improper labelled products undermines consumer confidence and poses serious health risks.

He pointed out that such has the likelihood of exposeing supermarket operators to legal sanctions that could damage their reputation and financial stability.

The NAFDAC Operator, further enlightened the participants that mere registration of a particular product with the Federal agency do not guarantee absolute consumption safety.

“Temperature control, cleanliness, pest control, stock rotation, and proper shelving are not optional practice; they are essential components of compliance”, he said.

The South South zonal director also told the operators of supermarket that their employees rotine training on the basis of the product they display for sale is of utmost importance.

In her presentation a Breast Milk Nutrition Expert , Professor Alice Nte of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), was against the body’s prime attention to breast milk substitute or baby milk in supermarkets as well as its advertisement or promotion.

Nye jerked up the importance of mothers breast milk to the newborn baby and added that it help in fighting against childhood diseases, infections and combating cancer in breastfeeding mothers.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC Deputy Director, South – South Zone , Mrs. Riter Chujwuma educated the participants on the guidelines for global listing, and the need to adhere strictly to rules guiding global listing to avoid confiscation of their imported products.

By: King Onunwor

Business

BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS

Published

2 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.

According to the data, more than 4.3 million new BVNs were issued within the one-year period, underscoring the growing adoption of biometric identification as a prerequisite for accessing financial services in Nigeria.

NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.

Analysts linked the growth largely to regulatory measures by the CBN, particularly the directive to restrict or freeze bank accounts without both a BVN and National Identification Number (NIN), which took effect from April 2024.

The policy compelled many customers to regularise their biometric records to retain access to banking services.

Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.

The programme has been widely regarded as a milestone in integrating the diaspora into Nigeria’s formal financial system.

A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.

However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.

The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

5 days ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has set the tone for the new year with a renewed focus on food security, unity and long-term growth of the agricultural sector.

The association announced that its General Assembly of Farmers Congress will take place from January 15 to 17, 2026 at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, along Lugbe Airport Road, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The gathering is expected to bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and development partners to shape a fresh direction for Nigerian agriculture.

In a New Year address to members and stakeholders, AFAN president, Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, said the congress would provide a strategic forum for reviewing past challenges and outlining practical solutions for the future.

He explained that the event would serve as a rallying point for innovation, collaboration and economic renewal within the sector.

Mudi commended farmers across the country for their determination and hard work, despite years of insecurity, climate-related pressures and economic uncertainty.

According to him, their resilience has kept food production alive and positioned agriculture as a stabilising force in the national economy.

He noted that AFAN intends to build on this strength by resetting agribusiness operations to improve productivity and sustainability.

The AFAN leader appealed to government institutions, private investors and development organisations to deepen their engagement with the association.

He stressed the need for collective action to confront persistent issues such as insecurity in farming communities, climate impacts and market instability.

He also urged members to put aside internal disputes and personal interests, encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility in pursuit of national development.

Mudi outlined key priorities that include increasing food output, expanding support for farmers at the grassroots and strengthening local manufacturing through partnerships with both domestic and international investors adding that reducing dependence on imports remains critical to protecting the economy and creating jobs.

He stated that the upcoming congress will feature the launch of AFAN’s twenty-five-year agricultural mechanisation roadmap, alongside the announcement of new partnerships designed to accelerate growth across the value chain.

Participants, he said wi also have opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange aimed at transforming agriculture into a more competitive and technology-driven sector.

As part of its modernisation drive, AFAN is further encouraging members nationwide to enrol for the newly introduced Digital ID Card.

Mudi said the initiative will improve transparency, ensure proper farmer identification and make it easier to access support programmes and services.

Reaffirming the association’s long-term goal, he said the vision of national food sufficiency by 2030 remains achievable if unity and collaboration are sustained.

He expressed optimism that with collective effort, Nigeria’s agricultural sector can overcome its challenges and deliver a more secure and prosperous future.

Lady Usendi