Unilever Nigeria Plc has reported a remarkable 99.7% increase in profit, reaching ₦21.98 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, compared to ₦11.01 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
The leading consumer goods manufacturer disclosed this in its unaudited interim financial statements for the period, highlighting significant improvements across key performance metrics despite operational challenges.
The company’s revenue climbed 50.6% to ₦155.41 billion from ₦103.85 billion in the corresponding nine-month period of 2024, driven by strong consumer demand and strategic pricing adjustments in response to the inflationary environment.
However, the cost of sales escalated to ₦91.45 billion from ₦60.96 billion, reflecting increased input costs, foreign exchange pressures, and supply-chain challenges affecting the manufacturing sector.
Despite rising costs, gross profit grew 52.2% to ₦63.97 billion compared to ₦42.89 billion in the prior year, demonstrating the company’s pricing power and operational resilience.
Unilever Nigeria’s operating profit surged by 200% to ₦30.46 billion from ₦10.13 billion year-on-year, marking a significant improvement in operational efficiency.
Selling and distribution expenses rose to ₦5.07 billion from ₦4.49 billion, while marketing and administrative expenses increased to ₦29.51 billion from ₦25.56 billion, reflecting investments in brand-building and distribution-network expansion.
The company also recorded an impairment write-back on trade and other receivables of ₦834.9 million, a positive swing from the ₦2.88 billion loss recorded in the same period last year, indicating improved credit management and customer payment patterns.
Other income contributed ₦244.8 million, up from ₦163.4 million in 2024.
A significant contributor to the bottom line was the company’s net finance income, which jumped 81.4% to ₦6.95 billion from ₦3.83 billion in the comparative period.
Finance income increased to ₦7.66 billion from ₦6.77 billion, while finance costs decreased substantially to ₦710.4 million from ₦2.94 billion, reflecting improved treasury management and favourable interest-rate movements.
Profit before taxation surged 172.8% to ₦37.41 billion from ₦13.97 billion recorded in the nine months of 2024.
After accounting for taxation of ₦15.43 billion, up from ₦2.95 billion in the prior year, the company achieved a net profit of ₦21.98 billion, all attributable to equity holders.
Basic and diluted earnings per share more than doubled to ₦3.83 from ₦1.92 in the corresponding nine-month period of 2024, representing a 99.5% increase and delivering enhanced returns to shareholders.
The impressive performance comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s challenging macroeconomic conditions, including naira devaluation, high inflation rates exceeding 30%, elevated energy costs, and supply-chain disruptions.
Unilever Nigeria’s ability to nearly double its profit while managing cost pressures demonstrates the strength of its portfolio, which includes household brands such as Omo, Sunlight, Lux, Lifebuoy, Closeup, Knorr, Royco, Blue Band, and Walls ice cream.
The results suggest successful implementation of revenue-growth management strategies, operational-efficiency initiatives, and effective working-capital management.
The strong nine-month performance positions Unilever Nigeria favourably as it heads into the final quarter of 2025, traditionally a strong period for consumer-goods companies due to festive-season demand.
Industry analysts view the results as a positive indicator of the company’s resilience and its ability to navigate Nigeria’s complex operating environment while delivering value to shareholders.
The company noted that the accompanying notes on pages 10–26 form an integral part of the financial statements, providing additional context and disclosures for stakeholders.
Unilever Nigeria Plc is listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and is a subsidiary of Unilever Overseas Holdings Limited.
