Guala Closures, a top international company known for making bottle closures for drinks and edible oil, has opened a new factory in Nigeria. The new manufacturing plant is located in the Lagos Free Zone, Lekki, Lagos State. This marks the company’s first major investment in West Africa and shows how serious they are about doing business in Nigeria and across the region.
The company held an official opening ceremony for the factory on Thursday. Some of the dignitaries present at the event were Mr. Ugo Boni, the Consul General of Italy in Lagos; Mrs. Adesuwa Ladoja, CEO of Lagos Free Zone; Mr. Andrea Lodetti, CEO of Guala Closures; and other top executives from the company.
In a statement released after the event, Guala Closures said that the Lagos plant is a big step in their plan to grow stronger in Africa. According to them, Nigeria is one of the most active and fast-growing markets on the continent. With over 200 million people and a very young population, the country provides a good opportunity for companies that want to expand in Africa.
The new factory is specially built to serve customers in West Africa. It will supply safety closures for bottles, especially for spirits like gin and whisky. These closures come with anti-counterfeiting features to protect brands and ensure that consumers are not tricked with fake products. Some of the features were designed just for the West African market.
Guala Closures revealed that it took only 22 weeks to complete the construction of the plant, which covers nearly 5,000 square meters. By the end of 2024, the plant was already ready to start operations. In the coming years, the company plans to expand the facility further. They also plan to provide jobs for many people in the local community.
The company has already been doing business in Kenya and South Africa. In fact, they recently took over a factory in Johannesburg that used to belong to Astir Vitogiannis. With this new investment in Nigeria, the company now wants to serve more customers in Africa, especially as more Nigerians are buying premium and quality products, including alcoholic drinks and soft beverages.
Speaking at the event, the CEO of Guala Closures, Andrea Lodetti, said: “This investment shows our strong belief in the African market. We want to create value for our partners, and we are using modern technology to produce high-quality closures that help protect our customers’ brands.”
He also explained that counterfeiting is a big problem in the industry. He said Guala Closures is using special technology to make sure that their closures are safe and cannot be easily copied. According to him, the company’s network of 37 factories and 7 research centres around the world helps them to serve their customers better.
On her part, the Managing Director of Lagos Free Zone, Mrs. Adesuwa Ladoja, said: “We are happy that a respected international company like Guala Closures chose our Standard Industrial Facility in Lagos Free Zone. This shows that global companies see the potential in Nigeria and West Africa. We will continue to support them as they grow here.”
The company believes that Nigeria’s expanding middle class and rising income levels will keep boosting the market for drinks and high-quality products. With this new factory, Guala Closures hopes to work closely with both local companies and big international brands that are active in West Africa.
