The Coca-Cola system in Nigeria contributed $1 billion in value-added economic activity and supported more than 160,000 jobs in 2024, according to an independent socio-economic impact study by global consulting firm Steward Redqueen.
The findings highlight the economic footprint of The Coca-Cola Company, its authorised bottler, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), and their network of suppliers, distributors and retailers across the country.
The results were announced following the company’s 75th anniversary gala, recently held in Abuja.
According to the study, the Coca-Cola system supported nearly 3,000 direct jobs within its operations and an additional 157,200 jobs through suppliers, business partners and customers.
This translates to approximately 53 additional jobs supported across Nigeria’s economy for every direct job created within the system, the study found.
The report also highlighted the company’s contribution to local businesses, revealing that the Coca-Cola system sourced $601 million worth of goods and services from Nigerian suppliers in 2024.
The local procurement spans several industries, including sugar production, packaging, transportation and marketing, linking the beverage business to a wider network of domestic economic activities.
The study assessed the system’s direct, indirect and induced economic impacts by combining company operational data with third-party economic sources. Its findings illustrate how the company’s activities extend beyond its own workforce to businesses and workers throughout its supply chain.
Investment in plastic recycling
Beyond its economic contribution, the Coca-Cola system has expanded its sustainability initiatives in Nigeria.
One of these is a packaging collection hub in Apapa, Lagos, designed to strengthen the country’s plastic recycling infrastructure.
The facility can process up to 13,000 metric tonnes of plastic bottles annually, according to the company. It is intended to support the collection, sorting and recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics while creating employment opportunities in local communities.
Plastic waste management remains an important challenge for Nigeria, where improved collection and recycling systems are needed to reduce the environmental impact of discarded packaging.
Water stewardship investment
The company’s sustainability activities also include participation in the Africa Water Stewardship Initiative, a nearly $25 million investment running through 2030 to address water-related challenges in communities across 20 African markets, including Nigeria.
The initiative forms part of the Coca-Cola system’s broader efforts to support water stewardship in the communities where it operates.
The socio-economic impact study provides an assessment of the company’s contribution to employment, local procurement and economic activity. However, its findings relate to 2024 and should not be interpreted as a measure of the company’s economic contribution in subsequent years.
The figures also reflect the combined impact of the wider Coca-Cola system and its value chain, rather than the operations of a single company alone.
