Whether it’s the Closeup toothpaste in your bathroom, the Knorr cubes in your mum’s soup or the Vaseline always in your bag, chances are Unilever Nigeria Plc is already part of your daily routine.
I never thought much about that until I attended the company’s 101st Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Muson Centre in Lagos. In the middle of all the big business conversations happening in the room, I kept thinking about how the company has managed to stay this present in Nigerian homes for decades while still trying to keep products accessible in this economy.
According to Chairman Bolaji Balogun, the answer has been resilience in its operations and continuous investment into improving products and how the business runs behind the scenes.
And judging by the company’s 2025 numbers, that approach seems to be paying off. Unilever Nigeria Plc recorded a turnover of ₦214.3 billion in 2025, up from ₦149.52 billion in 2024, while profit more than doubled to ₦32.2 billion. Shareholders at the meeting also approved a dividend payout of more than ₦18.67 billion, which definitely got people excited in the room.
Speaking during the meeting, Managing Director Tobi Adeniyi said the company’s recent momentum came from focusing heavily on what it calls its power brands, as well as ensuring that the company stands out from the clutters. A move that has established that Nigerians truly desire these brands while they continue to brighten everyday life for all.
“We made sharper choices in our work and strengthened innovation across the business,” he said. “And as you can see, that paid off.”
The company also stressed its focus on improving operations while still trying to keep products affordable for consumers, something that matters even more now when Nigerians are thinking twice before buying basically anything.
Even shareholders acknowledged the company’s efforts. Shareholder representative Kolawole Durojaiye praised the management team for what he described as disciplined operations that have improved profitability and overall growth.
From the conversations throughout the AGM, one thing became pretty obvious: Unilever Nigeria Plc is trying to evolve with a new generation of consumers while still staying familiar to the millions of Nigerians who already interact with its products every day.
So next time you use some Rexona deodorant before heading out or argue with your family over who finished the Pepsodent without replacing it, keep in mind that there’s an entire operation behind the scenes making sure those products stay on shelves and inside Nigerian homes.
Mofiyinfoluwa Adeyemi
Read More