L-R: Olukemi Ogunsakin, Head, Corporate Communications, Sustainability & CSR, Guinness Nigeria Plc; Erere Jakpor, CSR Associate, Guinness Nigeria Plc; Owolawi Omotola, Corporate Communications Specialist, Guinness Nigeria Plc, and Zainab Bakare, Brand Manager, Smirnoff RTS at the 7th Edition of The Industry Awards in Lagos.
Guinness Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s leading beverage company, solidified its leadership in the manufacturing sector by clinching multiple prestigious awards at the 7th Edition of The Industry Awards, themed “The Year of the Real Sector,” held in Lagos.
The company emerged as one of the most decorated organisations of the evening, winning five awards across corporate sustainability, brand excellence, and leadership categories, reflecting the depth of performance across the business.
Guinness Nigeria was named the Most Outstanding Company in Sustainability 2025/2026, a top-tier honour recognising the company’s commitment to long-term value creation for stakeholders. The award, determined by a jury of distinguished media practitioners, recognises Guinness Nigeria’s significant environmental and social milestones achieved during the 2025 business year.
A key highlight was the achievement of 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging, marking a significant step in its sustainability journey. The company also continued its investment in water stewardship, expanding access to clean and safe water through the installation of solar-powered boreholes in host communities.
On the social impact front, Guinness Nigeria deepened its over 30-year commitment to eye care in Nigeria, sponsoring 150 cataract surgeries and the equipping of the Guinness Eye Centres at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH).
Beyond corporate sustainability, Guinness Nigeria’s brands and executive talent dominated the night’s categories. Malta Guinness was honoured as the Malt Brand of the Year, recognised for its “Real in Every Way” campaign as a celebration of authenticity and real Nigerian stories that sparked over a million online reactions and reconnected with young consumers through the Trace in the City campus tour.
Smirnoff RTD also clinched the Outstanding RTD Brand of the Year, recognised for its “This is how we chill” campaign, an inclusivity-led platform brought to life through activations across Lagos, Ibadan, and Abuja, and immersive experiences at the Calabar Carnival.
The company’s leadership was also celebrated, with Rotimi Odusola, Corporate Relations and Legal Director, Guinness Nigeria, recognised as the Outstanding Communications Personality of the Year. Head of category, RTS Brands, Oluwaponmile Alabi was also named Marketer of the Year.
Speaking on the recognition, Ramanathan “Ram” Solayappan, Marketing & Innovations Director at Guinness Nigeria, credited the wins to the company’s consumer obsession ethos and disciplined execution. “These awards reflect what happens when an organisation stays close to the people it serves. Every brand honoured today, from Malta Guinness to Smirnoff, earned its place on the strength of the relationship it has built with Nigerian consumers.”
Reflecting on the sustainability recognition, Rotimi Odusola, Corporate Relations and Legal Director, Guinness Nigeria, added:
“This recognition belongs to the communities we operate in as much as it does to our teams. Every milestone, from our packaging transformation to our community investments, is ultimately about leaving Nigeria better than we met it, and continuing to earn the trust of the millions of consumers who choose our brands each day. We are proud of the progress, clear-eyed about the work ahead, and committed to holding ourselves to an even higher standard in the years to come.”
Guinness Nigeria’s performance at this year’s Industry Awards underscores a clear commitment: to keep raising the bar on sustainable manufacturing, consumer obsession, and responsible leadership not as a destination, but as a standard the business intends to set, year on year, in the industry.
