BUA Foods Plc has announced a dividend of N13 per share for its shareholders following the company’s 4th Annual General Meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

According to a press statement issued after the AGM on Thursday by the Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications for BUA Foods, Adewunmi Desalu, this payout represents a significant 136 per cent increase from the N5.50 paid the previous year.

The dividend was declared after BUA Foods reported a profit after tax of N265.9bn for the 2024 financial year, marking a 137 per cent growth from N112bn in the prior year.

The statement read, “BUA Foods Plc, a frontrunner in Nigeria’s Food manufacturing Industry and the most capitalised Business on the Nigerian Exchange Limited, held its 4th Annual General Meeting in Abuja at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

“At the meeting, shareholders approved a dividend of N13 per share, representing a 136 per cent increase from N5.50 paid in the previous year,” the statement read.

In the statement, the Chairman of BUA Foods, Abdul-Samad Rabiu, expressed gratitude to the shareholders for their unwavering support.

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He highlighted the company’s progress in tackling food supply challenges and advancing food security.

“We remained steadfast in our operations and achieved notable progress on key strategic initiatives geared towards addressing food supply challenges and promoting food security,” Rabiu was quoted in the statement.

Rabiu also provided insight into the company’s growth plans, including the expansion of its pasta production facility, which will introduce nine new long-cut pasta lines, doubling the company’s annual capacity.

Also, BUA Foods is set to enhance its flour division with the construction of four state-of-the-art wheat milling plants, significantly increasing its milling capacity.

He further noted that the company’s sugar agricultural project remains on track for completion.

Managing Director of BUA Foods, Ayodele Abioye, attributed the company’s growth to strategic investments in production systems, market penetration, and product diversification.

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He emphasised that these efforts had been key to the company’s resilience amid a volatile economic environment.

Abioye also expressed gratitude to shareholders, employees, suppliers, and customers for their roles in the company’s continued success.

The statement also included comments from various shareholders who praised the company’s performance.

The National Coordinator of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association, Mrs Bisi Bakare, commended the Chairman for his leadership and expressed satisfaction with the dividend payout.

The President of the Association of the Advancement of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders, Dr Faruk Umar, noted BUA Foods’ remarkable growth, citing the company’s N1.5tn revenue as an outstanding achievement.

The President of the New Dimension Shareholders Association, Patrick Ajudua, also lauded the company’s consistent delivery of value to shareholders and encouraged other investors to consider adding BUA Foods shares to their portfolios.

At the AGM, all resolutions were approved by shareholders, including the re-election of directors and the approval of remuneration policies.

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The PUNCH observed that in the firm’s 2024 financial results, BUA Foods reported growth across key performance metrics.

The company’s revenue soared to N1.53tn, an increase from N729.4bn in 2023.

The earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation stood at N481.7bn, a rise from N215.7bn the previous year.

The company’s EBITDA margin also improved, rising to 31.5 per cent from 29.6 per cent in 2023.

The company’s earnings per share for the year were N14.78, an increase from the N6.23 recorded in 2023.

Also, BUA Foods reduced its net debt to N360.5bn, down from N551.5bn in 2023. Total assets grew to N1.09tn from N1.07tn the previous year, further highlighting the company’s solid financial standing.

In terms of capital expenditure, BUA Foods allocated N31.6bn for the year, although this was a decrease from the N37.1bn spent in 2023. Free cash flow also decreased to N31.3bn from N99.6bn in 2023.