Amanze ChinonyeAnambra State government has countered former governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over claims on ranking of SABMiller Brewery in terms of tax contribution in the state.
During recent interviews, Obi asserted that SABMiller Brewery, now part of International Breweries Plc, was the biggest contributor to the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) has since refuted this claim, releasing figures that place SABMiller in sixth position, behind five major banks. According to data published by StatiSense and confirmed by AIRS, First Bank led the pack with ₦1.306 billion in 2024, followed by Access Bank (₦1.093 billion), Zenith Bank (₦1.051 billion), UBA (₦1.050 billion), and Fidelity Bank. SABMiller contributed ₦319.52 million in 2024, making it the only manufacturing company on the top contributors’ list.
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Further details from AIRS show that over two years (2023 and 2024), SABMiller remitted ₦656.5 million, covering Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) and Withholding Taxes (WHT). “SABMiller comes in a distant sixth position behind Fidelity Bank Plc with a gross tax payment of ₦656.5 million in two years,” the agency stated, dismissing Obi’s assertion as inaccurate.
It added that the brewery averaged ₦28 million monthly in 2023 and ₦26.62 million in 2024, concluding that the clarification was necessary to provide the public with “undiluted information.”
Obi, however, has stood by his remarks. In a widely circulated interview with Arise TV, he defended his efforts in attracting the brewery to Anambra, saying, “If I tell you what I suffered for that brewery to be built in Anambra State, you will not believe it. I had to go out trying to attract business to Anambra State.
“The biggest revenue earner in Anambra State is our brewery.”
Supporters of the former governor argue that his comment was not entirely inaccurate, stressing that SABMiller remains the state’s highest tax-paying manufacturing company and one of its largest indigenous contributors.
Critics see the government’s rebuttal as politically motivated, pointing to ongoing friction between Obi and Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo. One opinion piece reads, “Anambra State Governor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has a vile temper any time Peter Obi is mentioned. Each time you take a swipe at Peter Obi, it boomerangs. You come out beaten and battered.”
Political analyst Fred added, “Soludo is doing the work of his masters in Abuja. He believes that pandering to President Tinubu’s interests will save him from being ousted by federal might in the coming election. Maliciously throwing darts at Obi is part of that desperate survival strategy.”
Obi has also reiterated his economic philosophy in recent media appearances, stressing the need for investment-driven growth. In a July 7 interview on Channels TV, he said, “My vision is to transform Nigeria into a hub for foreign investment,” highlighting how his administration’s policies favored investment-led loans over consumption loans.
The brewery located in Onitsha, formerly known as Intafact Beverages Limited, was commissioned on 30 August 2012, under Obi’s administration as a greenfield investment by SABMiller. It later became part of AB InBev and was integrated into International Breweries Plc in 2017.
The project initially attracted $100 million in funding, with an additional $110 million injected in 2014 to triple its capacity to 2.1 million hectolitres annually, making it Nigeria’s largest brewery at the time. The state government also invested approximately ₦2 billion (about $12.6 million) for a 10% equity stake in the project an investment Obi has consistently defended as socially and economically strategic.
Meanwhile, AIRS says it has significantly improved Anambra’s revenue base, increasing monthly IGR from as low as ₦1.5 to ₦4 billion, with an all-time high of ₦10.5 billion recorded in May 2025.
While fact-checkers maintain that Obi’s claim was technically incorrect when interpreted literally, they note that SABMiller’s contribution to Anambra’s economy remains significant.
For many observers, this dispute has become less about revenue figures and more about narratives, political rivalry, and the battle for legacy in the state.
As reactions continue to pour in, one question lingers: is this about fiscal transparency or political point-scoring? For now, both sides appear determined to shape the story in their favour.
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