Nigerian Breweries’ beer brands, Life Continental Lager and Goldberg Lager have committed to strengthening the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector of the economy by providing grants to help upscale their businesses.
Kehinde Kadiri, the portfolio manager, mainstream lager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, said both brands have succeeded in putting smiles on the faces of more entrepreneurs and artisans with the Progress booster initiative across the South Eastern region and Isedowo across the South-Western region of the country.
According to Kadiri, Nigerian Breweries through the Life Progress Booster and Goldberg Isedowo campaigns has empowered about 200 entrepreneurs and artisans this year.
Speaking further on other marketing initiatives the brands are leveraging to deepen market share, Kadiri said both Life Lager and Goldberg are still expected to tour more states with the empowerment initiatives. “Is a tradition both brands will love to carry on for a very long time given its impact on its beneficiaries and other consumers of the brand,” stated Kadiri.
Back in 2015, Nigerian Breweries launched the Progress Booster initiative under the Life Continental Lager Beer brand to support enterprising minds in the South East where the bulk of its consumers live and help grow their businesses or implement new ideas.
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With grants of ₦200,000 each, the brand has been able to support at least 600 businesses, reaching even businesses in Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States respectively.
Following the two-year success of the Isedowo campaign, Nigeria’s largest brewer kicked off another empowerment initiative with its Goldberg Lager brand, this time focusing on supporting artisans in the South West with grants and other resources.
The initiative tagged Isedowo was geared towards improving the informal sector in Nigeria and has since its inception in 2017 awarded over ₦50,000,000 to 250 artisans, mostly within rural communities.
In Ikorodu, Goldberg has given out 10 grants of ₦200,000 each in 2021, which has been described by one of the recipients as a dream come true. “I have been trusting God for such an opportunity which Goldberg has given to me, and I thank them for this,” said Prince Adeoye, who runs a laundry business.
Adeoye disclosed that he has been in need of a washing machine and a bigger generator set to move his business forward, and the grant solves both challenges for him.
Nwaje Esther, a winner of the Progress Booster grant who only started her business in April 2021 in Asaba, Delta State, expressed great joy at receiving the ₦200,000 support from the Life Lager brand which she said will go into the purchase of an industrial weaving machine. “There are a lot of difficulties in the fashion design business and this grant automatically solves one of them for me,” she stated.
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