Nestlé Nigeria’s Bold Comeback: N51.2bn Profit Ends Painful Losses

Nestlé Nigeria’s Bold Comeback: N51.2bn Profit Ends Painful Losses
Nestlé Nigeria has made a powerful return to profit, delivering N51.2 billion in pre-tax earnings for the first quarter of 2025. This marks a stunning turnaround from the N196.1 billion loss recorded during the same period last year.
Behind this remarkable leap is a blend of strong sales growth, tighter cost controls, and relief from foreign exchange woes that previously hammered the company’s bottom line.
Nestlé’s unaudited financial report shows a 61 percent jump in revenue, climbing to N294.9 billion in Q1 2025 from N183.5 billion in Q1 2024. The company also posted an operating profit of N74.1 billion, up 254 percent from N20.9 billion a year earlier. Its overall equity position also gained strength, rising by N30 billion.
Mr. Wassim Elhusseini, the company’s CEO, credited the results to Nestlé’s focus on discipline and long-term goals. “The results for Q1 2025 reflect our unwavering commitment to operational excellence and strong fundamentals, marking a successful continuation of our return to profitability initiated in Q4 2024,” he said.
Elhusseini said the company is not letting up. He explained that Nestlé will continue innovating its products to meet consumer needs while also strengthening its cost and profit strategies. He noted the Q1 2025 profit after tax hit N30.1 billion — a clear sign that their strategy is working.
“Our focused efforts are yielding desired results led by a strong operating performance,” Elhusseini added.
This profit surge isn’t just a number — it’s a sigh of relief for stakeholders who have seen the company weather one of its most challenging periods in years.
Last year, the company’s financials were clouded by heavy foreign exchange losses and inflationary pressures. Nestlé’s 2024 Q1 loss of N196.1 billion shook investor confidence. But by the end of 2024, the company had already started regaining its footing, and this Q1 result confirms that the recovery is real and gaining speed.
The 254 percent increase in operating profit is especially noteworthy. It underscores Nestlé Nigeria’s ability to bounce back in a tough economic climate. From January to March 2024, its operating profit stood at just N20.9 billion. But during the same period in 2025, it had surged to N74.1 billion. That’s a powerful sign of improved efficiency and management discipline.
Nestlé Nigeria’s renewed strength isn’t just about higher revenues. The business has also seen a dramatic boost in margins — meaning it’s making more money on every naira of sales.
With a profit before tax of N51.2 billion and after-tax earnings of N30.2 billion, the company has reversed massive losses. In Q1 2024, it had posted a N142.7 billion after-tax loss. That kind of swing — from deep red to healthy black — is rare and signals a major shift in strategy and execution.
Investors, employees, and consumers are now watching to see if Nestlé can keep the momentum going.
Elhusseini says the company is playing a long game. “We will remain dedicated to driving innovation and renovation to meet evolving consumer needs, enhancing our margin management initiatives, and investing in community programs that deliver sustainable value to all our stakeholders,” he said.
Those community programs, he explained, will focus on long-term gains — not just quick financial wins. It’s part of Nestlé’s push to embed sustainability into every layer of its operations in Nigeria.
The comeback is a win not just for Nestlé, but also for Nigeria’s consumer goods sector, which has struggled under the weight of inflation, currency devaluation, and shrinking household incomes. For one of its biggest players to post this kind of result may signal that better days are ahead — at least for companies that know how to adapt.
Nestlé Nigeria’s turnaround shows the power of resilient planning and bold execution. In a market where many firms are still struggling to stay afloat, this kind of result is more than a financial statistic — it’s a story of strategy, hope, and confidence making a full-circle return.
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