Champion Breweries to brew and sell Bature craft beers nationwide

Champion Breweries Plc has signed a deal with Thistlerock Enterprises Limited, the owner of Bature Brewery, to brew, package and distribute three of Bature's craft beers across Nigeria.

The beers covered are Lagos Lager, Black Gold Stout and Harmattan Haze. They will be produced at Champion's brewery in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and pushed out through Champion's national distribution network, according to statements from both companies.

For drinkers outside Lagos, this means Bature's beers should become easier to find. The Lagos brewery has built a following in the city's bars and restaurants but has had limited reach elsewhere.

Who keeps control of the brands

Bature is not selling the brands yet. It will license them to Champion for manufacturing and sales in Nigeria, while keeping ownership and control of product development, brand strategy and consumer engagement. It will also keep serving its Lagos hospitality customers directly.

Champion has an option to buy the three brands outright, including their trademarks, recipes and goodwill. That option can only be exercised once their combined annual sales reach 40,000 hectolitres, about 4 million litres. Any purchase would be at a pre-agreed, performance-linked valuation and would still need corporate and regulatory approvals.

Malolan Sampath, Champion's managing director and chief executive, said the company wants to use its manufacturing and distribution strength to help distinctive Nigerian brands reach more consumers. Bature co-founder and chief executive Kevin Conroy said the partnership means more Nigerians can discover the beers while Bature stays true to the creativity that built the brand.

Rollout starts in December

The beers will come out in phases. Lagos Lager is expected to launch at the Calabar Festival in December 2026. Harmattan Haze is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, with Black Gold Stout to follow later in the year.

The deal fits Champion's recent push to widen its drinks portfolio. In February 2026 it completed the acquisition of the Bullet global brand portfolio from Sun Mark, covering trademarks, formulations and commercial rights across 14 African markets, including Nigeria.

Champion reported revenue of ₦29.80 billion for the year ended December 2025, up 43%, with profit after tax of ₦1.79 billion. But its nine-month results to September 2026 showed pre-tax profit falling 70.77% to ₦917.52 million, even as revenue rose.

The partnership lands in a crowded market. Nigerians spent about ₦1.41 trillion on beer, malt and spirits in the first half of 2026, based on results from Nigerian Breweries, International Breweries and Guinness Nigeria, which together control roughly 90% of the formal brewing industry. The three listed brewers spent more than ₦220 billion on advertising and distribution in that period.

What happens next: Watch for Lagos Lager on shelves and in bars from December. The acquisition option only becomes live if the three brands together sell 40,000 hectolitres a year.