Nigeria’s craft beer pioneer, Bature Brewery, is stepping up its game with a bold plan to reach 500 sales outlets and push monthly production to 100,000 litres by next year.
Founded in Abuja in 2017 and now headquartered in Lagos, Bature is positioning itself as the leading alternative to mass-produced lagers in a market where global names still dominate. The $7 billion Nigerian beer market remains the largest in Africa, but Bature’s co-founder Kevin Conroy believes there’s space for something different.
“We know there is more demand,” said Conroy. “Our goal is to get to 500 locations selling our products by the next 18 months. We are aiming to be doing 100,000 litres per month by next year.”
Their optimism is backed by a growing taste for premium and local flavours among young, urban Nigerians. Although Bature’s craft beers can cost up to six times more than mainstream options, the brewery is banking on quality, creativity, and regional ingredients to win over new drinkers.
Popular labels such as Lagos Lager, Mango Disco, and Harmattan Haze are brewed using locally sourced inputs. One standout, Black Gold stout, made with Taraba-grown coffee, won its taste category at the 2023 World Beer Awards.
To support this growth, Bature is expanding its Lagos plant, adding new fermentation tanks, water treatment systems, and diesel-powered backups to navigate Nigeria’s unreliable utilities. The brewery has also invested in draft dispensers in bars, restaurants, and hotels to grow its retail footprint.
Despite the challenges of operating in Nigeria, including naira volatility and the high cost of imported inputs, Conroy remains confident in the brewery’s approach.
“We’re going to be a small craft brewery compared to the big guys, but we believe we can make the best beer and we can keep growing in our own way and do things in our own style,” he said. “I will be very happy with 1 percent of the market. Even half of that will be great.”
