The Nigerian Breweries Plc has organised a nationwide entrepreneurial capacity-building programme aimed at empowering its customers and strengthening the sustainability of small and medium-scale businesses across the country.
According to a statement from the company, the initiative, tagged Empowerment to Drive Growth and Excellence (EDGE) 2025, was designed to equip retail outlets and sub-distributors with practical business skills to improve operations, financial management and long-term viability.
The programme, which kicked off in July 2025 in Awka, trained a total of 360 high-value retail outlets and sub-distributors across 12 regions nationwide.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held recently in Lagos, Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Thibaut Boidin, said the programme was developed in response to insights from the company’s Voice of Customer engagements, which revealed that many retailers were struggling with sustainability challenges, including financial management, operational efficiency and customer retention.
He explained that EDGE was created to address these gaps by providing customers with essential business knowledge, digital tools and post-training consultancy support.
“In the past year, navigating Nigeria’s business and economic environment, we have witnessed many retail and sub-distributor outlets shutting down. Our customers made it clear that they needed stronger business support, and EDGE was our response,” Boidin said.
“Through this programme, we trained over 360 customers across 12 regions, equipping them with practical skills, business tools and free inventory apps to help reduce losses and strengthen their operations. At Nigerian Breweries Plc, we believe that when our customers grow, we grow. EDGE reinforces our commitment to being true partners in progress,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the programme facilitator and Chief Executive Officer of Tom Associates, Temitope Jegede, said participants underwent intensive two-day training covering financial literacy, including balance sheets, cash flow management and profit-and-loss analysis, as well as customer service optimisation, operational efficiency and staff development.
She noted that the training was highly interactive, allowing participants to identify operational gaps and adopt practical solutions for record-keeping, inventory management and customer relationship management.
Participants described the programme as transformative, noting that it exposed long-standing operational errors, particularly in financial tracking and inventory control.
One of the beneficiaries, Awesu Ahmed, said the training helped him identify gaps in his business and introduced him to digital inventory tools that would improve efficiency. Another participant, Juliet Nwafor, said the bookkeeping and record-keeping sessions would significantly enhance her ability to monitor transactions and manage her growing retail business.
The programme concluded with the presentation of certificates to participants, reaffirming Nigerian Breweries Plc’s commitment to empowering MSMEs and supporting the sustainable growth of its retail partners nationwide.
