E-Malt.com News article: Nigeria: Consolidated Breweries shareholders agree to merger with Benue Brewery Limited and DIL/Maltex Nigeria Plc

Consolidated Breweries Plc shareholders has given their consent on the proposed merger with Benue Brewery Limited and DIL/Maltex Nigeria Plc to improve operational efficiency, expand growth and maximise value for stakeholders, Ventures Africa reported on January, 17.

The approval was given at a court-ordered extra-ordinary meeting of Consolidated Breweries in Lagos.

DIL/Maltex and Benue Brewery are subsidiaries of Consolidated Breweries Plc and engaged in the same line of business as Consolidated Breweries. Consolidated Breweries owned 97.83 percent of the equity in DIL/Maltex and 100 percent of the equity in Benue Brewery.

Chairman of Consolidated Breweries Plc, Prof Mrs. Oyinade Odutola-Olurin explained that the primary objective of the mergers was to streamline the management and its corporate governance, in line with the operations of Consolidated Breweries and its subsidiaries.

“The merger will lead to administrative efficiencies, cost reductions and operational synergies; and be beneficial to all stakeholders of Consolidated Breweries,’’ she said.

Odutola-Olurin added that the post-merger entity would capture positive economy of scale and achieve significant synergies through enhanced operational and administrative efficiencies, a streamlined supply chain, and a unified service delivery platform.

The Chairman of DIL/Maltex Nigeria Plc, Chief Samuel Bolarinde and his Benue Brewery counterpart, Steven Ameh, at separate meetings noted that the merger schemes would provide an opportunity for Consolidated Breweries to better utilize its assets and further streamline its operations.

The combination of the assets of Consolidated Breweries and DIL/Maltex and Benue Brewery will increase Consolidated Breweries’ manufacturing capacity while streamlining overlapping costs, resulting in increased earnings, the duo said.

Under the terms of the two separate schemes of merger, all the assets, liabilities and undertakings of both DIL/Maltex and Benue Brewery including real property and intellectual property rights, were transferred to Consolidated Breweries. The entire share capital of DIL/Maltex comprising 350,000 ordinary shares of N1.00 each were cancelled; and DIL/Maltex stands dissolved without being wound up, a statement released by the company said.

It added that “In consideration for the transfer of all the assets, liabilities and undertakings of DIL/Maltex to Consolidated Breweries, it was approved that each DIL/Maltex shareholder would receive one ordinary share of Consolidated Breweries, credited as fully paid-up in exchange for 20 ordinary shares held in DIL/Maltex as at the terminal date.”

“The same propositions apply to Benue Brewery while the entire capital of the company comprising 500,000,000 ordinary shares of N1.00 each were cancelled and Benue Brewery stands dissolved without being wound up.”

On post scheme dividends and other rights, the company said the scheme shares to be issued to DIL/Maltex shareholders shall, upon the DIL/Maltex effective date, rank pari-passu in all respects and shall form a single class of shares with the existing ordinary shares in the share capital of Consolidated Breweries, Accordingly, DIL/Maltex shareholders shall be entitled to any dividend, bonus issues, and other distributions/rights made by Consolidated Breweries to holders of its fully paid ordinary shares.

Consolidated Breweries Plc is Nigeria’s third-largest beer maker.

18 January, 2013