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| His Royal Majesty, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1, Oba of Lagos, and his White Cap Chiefs during the blessing of Orijin drink by Guinness Nigeria Plc in Lagos |
Royal
Fathers recently gave their blessings to the iconic drink from the stables of
Guinness Nigeria Plc, Orijin, when the brand was formally presented to
traditional rulers across Nigeria, as part of its marketing drive to further
promote the drink as a drink of heritage among Nigerians.
Welcomed
amidst fanfare depicted of the royals, the brand received the blessings of the
royal fathers as they all showed their appreciation for a truly Nigerian drink
rooted in African tradition with the flavours of African herbs and fruits.
The first
point of homage was the palace of the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty, Oba
Rilwan Akiolu 1, at Iga Idungaran, Lagos Island. As the Guinness Leadership
Team led by the Director, Corporate Relations, Mr. Sesan Sobowale, presented
the drink to His Royal Highness; the Monarch took no time in appreciating the
innovation behind the production of Orijin.
While
accepting the drink and offering his blessings, Oba Akiolu stated that Guinness
has been associated with producing iconic brands over the years and he is sure
Orijin will not be any different.
“I am aware
of the efforts Guinness has put into producing wonderful brands over the years.
I have had some information about Orijin and I am glad you have come to present
the drink here in my palace. I bless this drink and wish you well,” Oba Akiolu
prayed.
Oba Akiolu
congratulated the management of Guinness Nigeria for the successful
introduction of a new brand in the alcoholic beverage sector and advised that
“Guinness Nigeria should ensure the distribution is well spread across all the
different channels and more of our indigenes should be engaged in the sale and
distribution of this product. I am sure that will go a long way in projecting
the brand.”
Chief Noren
Ozigbo-Esiri, the Osuma of Benin, while receiving and blessing Orijin on behalf
of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolopolo, Erediauwa 1, stated that
the local contents used in producing Orijin is evidence that Guinness Nigeria
is a company driven by innovation and also an advocate of using local contents
in its manufacturing process.
“It is very
interesting what Guinness has done to ensure our local herbs and fruits are
used to make Orijin. This is the first of its kind. It is simply a confirmation
that your company is driven by innovation and we advise you to keep it up. We
bless this drink on behalf of the Oba and people of Benin Kingdom,” Chief
Ozigbo-Esiri said.
In his
remarks, Mr. Sesan Sobowale, Director, Corporate Relations thanked the Monarchs
and reinstated Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring quality products from
the stable of the company.
“We have
come to present Orijin to our Royal Fathers, because we understand the
importance of staying rooted in our traditions. Orijin is a drink made from
African herbs and fruits mixed with alcohol to produce a great bitter-sweet
that speaks to our African heritage. Guinness Nigeria respects the tradition of
the society it operates in and our kings and traditional rulers all over the
country have been the custodians of the cultures and heritage of our people for
many centuries. Therefore, it is only proper for Guinness Nigeria to pay homage
to these esteemed personalities and obtain their blessings for this unique
product which has now become the fastest selling beverage in the bitters and
Ready-to-Drink categories in Nigeria today,” Sobowale stated.
In 2013, Guinness Nigeria
invested in a new plant to manufacture spirits locally. The local spirits
manufacture commenced in December 2013 with the production of Orijin Bitters
which is only one variant of the popular brand. The brand is also available in
a ready to
drink format.
Guinness
Nigeria is also the manufacturer of many well-known brands like Guinness
Foreign Extra Stout, Harp Lager Beer, Malta Guinness, Alvaro, Snapp, Dubic and
Satzenbrau, among others.
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