A History of Promasidor Nigeria

Abstract

This work explores the History of Promasidor Nigeria 1993- 2017 as an offshoot of the Promasidor Group through the examination of its origin, growth, development, nature, extent of activities and the impacts of the Company in Nigeria as one of the active drivers of the Nigerian consumer goods sector.

The time scope of this study is between 1993 and 2017. The former is the departure date of this work because it marked the year the Promasidor Nigeria was established. Never the less, 2017 will be the terminal date taking into consideration the 20^th anniversary of the Cowbellpedia.

Works have been done by scholars on Multinationals such as UAC, Shell, Nigerian Breweries, PZ Cussons, and Unilever among others that have played great roles in the Nigerian economic space. However, Promasidor Nigeria one of Nigeria's leading food and beverage giant has not received adequate attention in its efforts at adding values to the Nigerian society despite its profit orientation and neither does Promasidor Nigeria have an official written account of its history.

Many companies operating within the shores of Nigeria do not know the values of far reaching impactful initiatives particularly in the educational sector and this ignorance is displayed in the heavy investments made in initiatives that have and add low values to the moral and social structures of the Nigerian society such as the "Big Brother Naija show”, beauty pageantry among others. The highlighting of this decadence as a social problem has not received adequate attention. This research employed qualitative historical methods of analysis and data based on primary and secondary sources. The primary sources include oral interviews with top and junior ranking staff members of the company, Cowbellpedia officials, Promasidor distributors, Provision traders, supermarket cash and sales persons. It protected the identities of the company's staff members who were not the spokespersons nor authorised to divulge the company information grounds that they can be disengaged from the services of the company for divulging its information save the interview of the company's Corporate Brand Manager who is the authorised brand spokesperson. Other primary sources used include Promasidor Link Newsletters, Promasidor News, Conference Reports and Proceedings, Newspapers, Factsheets and Promasidor official documents on the company website pages http://www.promasidor.ng and http://www.promasidor.com. The secondary sources consulted are books, journals, articles, newspapers, Encyclopaedia, and internet materials.

This works concludes that Promasidor Nigeria emerged from the market and health needs of Nigerians and on the strength of its dedicated staff members who are celebrated annually in its Long Service Awards and Hall of Fame. Though a profit-oriented business, and having weaknesses such as the unfair treatment of its staff members, it has fairly impacted on the Nigerian social structures as well as national development.