How to become a Unilever Distributor in Nigeria

Do you wish to join the Unilever family by becoming a distributor? Read this article to know how you can become one.

Unilever is one of the major fast moving consumer goods companies in the country. The company is a subsidiary of Unilever Overseas Holding B.V. It is a publicly listed company with trading and manufacturing interest in the consumer goods market.

As a Unilever distributor, you will not be faced with problems of product acceptance as the reputation of the company is not in doubt among Nigerians. Unilever Nigeria is primarily involved in the manufacture and sales of foods, food ingredients as well as home and personal care products, all natural deodorant with the best scents for your armpits.

In 2014, Unilever was one of the top 20 most valuable companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

In 2001, the company changed its name to Unilever Nigeria Plc. Currently, Unilever makes and sells products under more than 400 brand names worldwide. In Nigeria, the company has three segments namely, the Food and Drink segment, Home and Personal Care segments.

The product segments include:

Food products

Blue Band Margarine, Lipton Yellow Label Tea, Royco bouillon cubes and Knorr bouillon cubes

Home care

OMO Multi-Active Detergent, Sunlight washing powder, and Sunlight Dishwashing liquid

Personal care products

Close-Up toothpaste, Pepsodent toothpaste, LUX beauty soap, Lifebuoy soap, Rexona, Pears Baby Products range, Vaseline lotion, and petroleum jelly.

Here are the requirements if you want to become a Unilever Distributor

Excellent understanding of the consumer goods market

Becoming a Unilever requires that you possess knowledge of how the market works. The consumer goods market is very dynamic and witnesses continuous changes in consumer behaviour. Having an understanding of how this works is an added advantage in your quest to becoming a distributor.

Financial capacity

It is very important to have enough funds before you can buy Unilever products. Generally, the start-up capital needed falls within the range of N9,000,000 to N35,000,000.

If you can’t afford the initial capital, you can apply for debt financing, however, the loans should not exceed 50% of your working capital.

Excellent communication skills

There is a need to possess excellent communication skills. You need to be able to communicate effectively in English, a local language and Pidgin. This is very important because you will have to speak any of these languages to your customers.

Integrity

Working as a distributor with Unilever requires high integrity on your part. It is extremely important to the company because you are an extension of Unilever to the customers. Therefore, it is necessary that you are trustworthy and are able to work within the guidelines of company policy. The inability of a distributor to maintain integrity can lead to sanctions.

Equipment and staffing

Apart from your financial and moral capacity, there are some additional requirements you need to meet. These include equipment necessary for the job as well as being able to hire your workforce. For instance, you will need a manager, salesmen and an accountant among others. Also, there is the need to have distribution trucks or vans which will be used in transporting products from your warehouse to your customers. The availability of these vehicles will make it easy for you to conduct your business. Also, it doesn’t matter your location in Nigeria, you can apply for distributorship rights once you meet these requirements.

Conclusion

Qualifying as a Unilever distributor enables you to be part of a long-standing and successful brand which has been around for over 7 decades. Also, it enables you to partake in its tradition of excellence in the provision of high-quality consumer goods to households. You will also be trained from time to time by the company.

Additionally, diligence and hard work in handling your business affairs as a distributor enable you to reach for the greatest height in your business.