Sona identifies factors for Group’s successful brands in Nigeria

The CEO of Sona Group of Industries, Ashok Manghnani has identified the factors that enabled it to build successful strong brands in the Nigerian economy, in spite of economic challenges. He identified the group’s belief in the Nigerian project, local sourcing of materials and its motivated Nigerian workforce.

Speaking at the Nigeria Manufacturing and Equipment Expo (NME Expo) held recently, where the group participated, Manghnani said, “The promoters of the companies under the group are Nigerians by hearts who have spent many years in Nigeria and who believe in Nigeria.

“Most of the people in our management team are people who have spent many years in the country to know what Nigerians want, that is why for many years we have operated in the country building products sourced with local materials.

“We started with about six breweries and now we have diversified into packaging, power and gas, manufacturing as well as in real estate. We are also into manufacturing of biscuits. We also have wine, soft drinks all made in Nigeria. We produce sorghum in large quantity which we get from the north” he said in a statement.

Sona Group of Industries started operations in Nigeria in 1994 and later on diversified into different sectors. It has within its group 10 subsidiaries which include Sona Agro Allied Foods Ltd; Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Ltd;  Food, Agro & Allied Industries Ltd; Shongai Technologies Ltd; Shongai Packaging Industry Ltd; Techblow Nigeria Ltd, Coronation Real Estate Development Ltd, Coronation Power & Gas Ltd; Sona Industrial Gases Ltd.

Asked of how challenging it has been doing business in Nigeria, Manghnani said in Europe, the government subsidizes their industries and would want to see the same situation applied in the country.

“Some of the challenges we face here is high cost of manufacturing coupled with poor electricity situation and high interest rate which revolves between 22 and 26%. You find out that importation is always cheaper compared to growing locally, however, we have found ways to get our materials locally, though expensive but available. After production we export our products to Ghana and other African countries,” he said.

Explaining the reasons for the group’s participation at the Expo, he disclosed that the Expo helps the group to showcase its products and services to customers and other stakeholders directly and the feelers gotten from last year’s event for example led to the production of paper cup, an addition to the innovative products of the group.

Daniel Obi