British multinational, SAB Miller to build $100 million brewery in Onitsha

British multinational and international brewing giant, SABMiller (SAB) is set to formally open a $100 million brewery in Onitsha, Anambra State. The brewery will be the company’s first “greenfield” brewery facility in the country.
The formal opening will be this Thursday where Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan is expected to commission the multimillion dollar facility.
Work began on the brewery in 2011. The brewery is currently the largest single investment in Anambra State in the past two decades.
In terms of employment benefits, about 180 Anambra State indigenes are expected to be employed. This number is projected to rapidly increase to about 450 as production volumes grown. Raw materials such as sorghum and maize are expected to be sourced locally. The brewery is expected to commence with production of beer and malt  with an annual capacity of up to 500,000 hectoliters. Expected brands to be launched in the market include Hero Lager, Trophy Lager, Grand Lager, Grand Malt and Beta Malt.
Speaking on the brewery, Mark Bowman‚ Managing Director of SABMiller Africa‚ said: “Over the past five years we have invested over US$1 billion in Africa. Today’s opening is an indication of our commitment to increase our capacity further and to consolidate our position on the continent whilst contributing positively to the local communities in which we operate.”
Nigeria is currently Africa’s second largest beer market with a projected industry growth of about 6% per annum. South Africa is the continent’s largest beer market with a total consumption of 25 million hl (or 57 litres per person) annually.