Shina Peters, Flavour thrill guests •As Nigerian Breweries rewards trade partners

It was a night of music and glamour last Friday as two Afro music crooners, Sir Shina Peters and Flavour thrilled guests inside the Zinnia Hall of Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos when brewing giant, Nigerian Breweries Plc rewarded its distributors and trade partners spread across the country.

The musicians rendered their popular hit tracks while the excited audience took to the dancing floor for more than one hour at the ceremony compered by A list comedian, ‘Gordons’

The award ceremony was in honour of distributors and key transporters of the company who excelled in the course of their business partnerships with Nigerian Breweries Plc last year.

Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, thanked the distributors for the long standing relationship and the value added to the business last year. He restated the commitment and sustained support of the company in the years ahead despite the continuing challenges in the economy.

“As partners for greatness, we need you now more than ever before to win. The environment is more intense and the competitive landscape continues to change every day locally and globally, “he said.

He disclosed that as the company looks forward to 2017 and is prepared for the challenges, the years ahead will be more profitable, since the fundamentals of the Nigerian market is very positive. Vervelde lauded the partners for 70 years of support and affirmed that the company looks forward to sustaining its partnership with them in the years ahead.

Hubert Eze, the company’s Sales Director thanked the company’s customers for the unrelenting support throughout 2016 and explained that the annual award was conceived to be a celebration of their excellent performance in the preceding year.He added that despite the challenges in the operating environment, the company did well in 2016 and achieved many milestones as a result of the partnership with them. He challenged the customers to resilient as they set out to achieve their mutual business objectives in 2017.

During the event, several awards were presented to winners including the CFAO Award for Non-alcohol Distributors; Growth Award and Isuzu Direct Depletion to Road Award. Others were Regional Key Transporters Award; Brand Champions; National Key Transporter; Regional Champions and National Champions.

In the climax of the event, last year’s winner, Ken Maduakor Group Limited from Nnewi in Onitsha marketing zone beat two others to emerge National Champion and the company’s best distributor for 2016.

Nathan Ofoma and Sons Limited, Nkpor, Anambra State came second and beat Ifeoma Chukwuka Nigeria Limited, the winner in 2013 and 2014, to the third position

Maduakor who set an African record last year by selling more than five million cases of beer in 2015, broke his own record by selling more than six million cases in 2016. He thanked the company for the gesture and advised that the momentum be sustained so that the company and its partners will remain on top.

For their efforts, Maduakor got a ten-pallet Isuzu Truck and an award trophy while Nathan Ofoma and Ifeoma Chukwuka each got a six-pallet Isuzu NMR and an award trophy.

Ancaps Global Investment Limited from Kaduna won the National Key Transporter Award and got a plaque, an award trophy and a Mitsubishi L200 double cabin 4×4 DC Van. Pauline Chimex who won the raffle draw for the night got a Mitsubishi L200 Van.

Nigeria Breweries Plc, the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria was incorporated in 1946 and marked its 70th anniversary on November 16, 2016.