Onome Amuge
Maltina, Nigeria’s leading malt drink brand, has introduced two new bottle sizes as part of a back-to-school campaign designed to expand accessibility, target school-age children, and reinforce its long-standing positioning as a family-focused drink.
The launch, held in Lagos recently, unveiled 25cl and 50cl PET bottle variants under the campaign theme “Nourishment Fit for You.” The initiative marks a major milestone for Nigerian Breweries, the Heineken-controlled brewer that owns Maltina, as it prepares to celebrate the malt brand’s 50th anniversary next year.
According to the company, the 25cl bottle is designed for children and school settings, small enough to fit into lunchboxes while still delivering the vitamin-enriched malt formula that has long underpinned the brand’s appeal. The 50cl PET, meanwhile, offers a 20 per cent increase in volume compared with Maltina’s existing 33cl format, aimed at families and young adults seeking extra value without compromise on quality.
Sarah Agha, marketing director at Nigerian Breweries, said the product innovation was about more than just packaging. “For over 49 years, Maltina has been about sharing happiness, building moments, and fueling togetherness across generations. As we enter our Golden Jubilee year, we are deepening our promise for the future. Happiness alone is not enough — it must also be nourished,” she said.
The launch comes at a time when consumer goods companies in Nigeria are facing intensifying pressures from inflation, currency depreciation and weak household incomes, prompting a shift toward product re-sizing and packaging innovation to maintain affordability. Smaller pack sizes allow brands to cater to cash-strapped households while sustaining demand, while larger formats offer a value-for-money proposition for middle-income consumers.
The programme extends the brand’s involvement in education, which also includes the Maltina Teacher of the Year award, now in its 10th year, which recognises outstanding educators across the country.
Speaking at the event, Esomnofu Chidiebube,the 2024 winner, praised the campaign, noting: “Effective learning cannot happen without proper nourishment. With this initiative, Maltina is showing it understands the real foundation of our future: healthy children ready to learn, and teachers empowered to guide them.”
Elohor Olumide-Awe, portfolio manager for non-alcoholic drinks at Nigerian Breweries, positioned the product extension as both a business and social response to Nigeria’s consumer environment. The 25cl provides children with the nourishment they need to excel in school, while the 50cl offers families and young people more of the Maltina they love,” she said. “This season, we are pledging to nourish one million students across Nigeria because nourishment is not a moment but a journey,” she said.
From assets to agency: Turning Africa’s balance sheet