The Coca-Cola System in Nigeria supported approximately 160,200 jobs across its value chain in 2024 and generated an estimated $1bn in value-added economic activity, according to a socio-economic impact assessment conducted by global consultancy Steward Redqueen.

The assessment examined the contribution of Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and its authorised bottler, Nigerian Bottling Company, to Nigeria’s economy using the Leontief input-output model, an economic framework used to examine how activity in one sector affects other parts of an economy.

According to the assessment, about 2,989 people were directly employed within the Coca-Cola System, while more than 157,200 additional jobs were supported indirectly across areas including agriculture, logistics, retail, hospitality and distribution.

The report estimated that each direct job within the Coca-Cola System was associated with about 53 additional jobs supported elsewhere in the Nigerian economy through the wider value chain. This reflects the employment multiplier associated with suppliers, distributors, retailers and other businesses connected to the company's operations.

Local procurement was another significant part of the company's reported economic footprint. The assessment estimated that Coca-Cola spent approximately $601m on goods and services sourced from Nigerian suppliers in 2024, linking its operations to businesses involved in production, agriculture, logistics, packaging and other areas of the domestic economy.

The company has continued to emphasise local sourcing as part of its operating model, with Coca-Cola describing its approach as one that involves hiring, producing, distributing and sourcing locally where possible. Across Africa, the wider Coca-Cola System reported $4.3bn in purchases from local suppliers in 2024.

The assessment also highlighted sustainability initiatives connected to Coca-Cola's Nigerian operations, particularly plastic waste recovery and water stewardship.

Among the initiatives referenced was a packaging collection hub in Apapa, Lagos, which has an annual processing capacity of about 13,000 metric tonnes of PET plastic. The facility is expected to strengthen plastic collection and recycling while supporting people working within the informal waste-collection sector.

Water sustainability was also identified as an area of investment. Coca-Cola's Africa-wide water stewardship programme involves nearly $25m in investment between 2024 and 2030 across 20 African countries, including Nigeria. The company's reported interventions in Nigerian communities include projects involving water access, sanitation and environmental restoration.

The wider economic impact assessment therefore presents Coca-Cola's footprint as extending beyond its factories and directly employed workforce, with activity spreading across suppliers, farmers, distributors, retailers and service providers.

The latest figures come as Coca-Cola continues to expand its Nigerian operations. The company and its bottling partner announced in September 2024 plans to invest an additional $1bn in Nigeria over five years, subject to a predictable and enabling business environment. At the time, Coca-Cola HBC said it had invested about $1.5bn in Nigeria over the preceding decade.

The $1bn investment plan has since been linked to expansion of manufacturing and logistics capacity. In 2026, Nigerian Bottling Company commissioned three additional production lines at its Asejire and Challawa facilities as part of a broader programme to increase production capacity.

The latest economic assessment provides a picture of the company's reported contribution to Nigeria through employment, domestic procurement, manufacturing, distribution and sustainability initiatives. While the figures are based on an assessment commissioned by the Coca-Cola System, the study offers an estimate of how the company's operations and wider value chain contributed to economic activity in 2024.

For Coca-Cola, the findings reinforce its argument that its presence in Nigeria extends beyond beverage production to a wider network of businesses and livelihoods connected to its supply and distribution chain.