So, there I was, sitting in my favorite joint, caressing a cup of fresh pami with hot isiewu, my best way of calming the evening, when I caught wind of the latest rankings from the 2024 TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA®.
“Wow, what a year it’s been for Nigerian brands!
Despite them Oga at the Top’s best efforts to, ahem, who says ‘encourage businesses to leave’? these 50 brands have shown the true Naija spirit and refused to give up.
Dangote Industries, ‘them baba’ is the most valuable brand — seven years back-to-back! The same number of times my landlord has increased my rent without blinking an eye. It’s almost like Dangote and my landlord are in a secret club where they plan their yearly domination strategies.
But seriously, no surprise here, who else can afford to build a refinery and still have enough money left over to sponsor almost every Nigerian event and about the highest CSR spender? Sometimes, you wonder if they have superpowers.” But really, what’s there to say? The man’s got his hands in everything—cement, sugar, and maybe even the air we breathe, like literarily.
Then there’s MTN Nigeria—the yellow, yello people did not only emerged in the second place overall, but also, Most Popular Brand in the country, thanks to their Top-of-Mind survey. They say MTN is the jollof rice of telecommunications in Nigeria; everyone knows it, everyone eats it, na true? But sometimes, this Jollof is just a bit pepper for mouth like when my line was blocked because of NIN.
They almost suceeded in frustrating me, but my God no gree for them! Yet here they are, with 81.5% of the country recalling their name before they even remember their own phone number. If only MTN could help me recall where I kept my remote control last night…
Globacom rounds up the top three, holding it down with that same tenacity that keeps us going in Lagos traffic. Everything na double-double. Their slogan should be, “We rise by lifting others’ data bundles.”
And who could forget Airtel Nigeria? Fourth place, still hanging in there like my trusted okada rider who knows every shortcut. “Data is life,” they say—just don’t try to stream Netflix on it during peak hours.
The banks made a strong showing, not surprisingly—Access Bank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, GTCO—all crowding into the top 10 like passengers on a Molue. Four banks in the top 10, which means even in these trying times, Naija still believes in two things: miracles and quick loan.
But amidst the celebrations, a few brands have decided to japa. Yes, they packed their bags and left, leaving us to wonder, “What do they know that we don’t?”
Ironically, the stock market is performing like a Nollywood star winning an Oscar, but some brands just couldn’t stick around for the after-party. Well, them go beg for visa to come back in few years.
However, the big takeaway this year is the Nigerian brands that are still standing strong. Seven of the top 10 are homegrown, waving the green-white-green with pride. We may not have consistent electricity, but by God, we have resilient brands!
Remarkably, Opay and Flutterwave made their debut too, showing us that fintech is the new agbada—everyone wants a piece of it.
And then, there’s the familiar faces that just won’t budge. Fourteen brands kept their positions from last year, probably using the same juju that keeps my internet running slower than molasses. But hey, stability is good, right? It means that amidst all the chaos, some things just refuse to change.
As for the “Brands to Watch,” well, they’re like the upcoming artists trying to drop their debut album—full of promise, hype, and some dosage of uncertainty. Nine out of 10 of them are Nigerian too, proving that if there’s one thing, we’re good at, it’s making a strong fist.
In the end, this year’s Top 50 Brands list isn’t just about who made it and who didn’t. It’s a celebration of resilience, a testament to the tenacious Naija spirit that refuses to back down in the face of difficulties.
So, here’s to the brands that stayed, the ones that made us proud. Kudos!
As the Oga at the top said, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” And as these brands have shown, tough Naija brands do too.
Finally, congratulations to all the top brands! May you continue to prosper and grow, even if the rest of us have to live on garri and prayers.
By Femi Adeyemi
