British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Limited
Tobacco has been smoked for at least the last three thousand years. Christopher Columbus found it when he landed in the Americas in 1492, but ancient temple carvings show tobacco being smoked in Central America as long ago as 1,000 BC.
One of the major tobacco companies in the world,British American Tobacco 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.
British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Limited was finally incorporated on the 11th of july, 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 commitment 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.
British American Tobacco Nigeria took a decision to localize the manufacture of their brands with a subsequent improvement in product quality and freshness. The international brands which were previously imported - such as Benson and Hedges, St. Moritz, Rothmans, Consulate, London, Pall Mall and Royal Standard – are all now produced in Nigeria.
The head office is located at PC 35 Idowu Taylor Street Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria.
