Unilever Nigeria Declares ₦2 Interim Dividend After ₦15.6 Billion Half-Year Profit

Unilever Nigeria Plc has declared an interim dividend of ₦2 per ordinary share of 50 kobo for the six months ended June 30, 2026 following an improvement in its half-year earnings.

The consumer goods company said the dividend would be subject to the applicable withholding tax and paid electronically on Friday, August 14, 2026.

Shareholders whose names appear in the company’s register at the close of business on Friday, July 31, 2026, will qualify for the payment.

To determine eligible shareholders, Unilever Nigeria will close its register from Monday, August 3, to Friday, August 7, 2026, with both dates inclusive.

The dividend announcement followed the company’s unaudited first-half results, which showed that profit after tax increased by 8.3 percent to ₦15.60 billion from ₦14.41 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

Revenue grew by 22.2 percent to ₦119.92 billion, while operating profit advanced by 29.5 percent to ₦24.36 billion. Earnings per share increased to ₦2.72 from ₦2.51.

Based on the company’s approximately 5.75 billion outstanding shares, the interim dividend represents an estimated total distribution of about ₦11.5 billion.

This translates to roughly 73.5 percent of Unilever Nigeria’s first-half profit and dividend cover of approximately 1.36 times.

The relatively high payout underlines the company’s capacity to return cash to shareholders, although it leaves a smaller proportion of earnings available for reinvestment and working-capital requirements.

Shareholders who have not registered for electronic dividend payments were advised to complete the mandate form available through Greenwich Registrars and Data Solutions Limited or their respective banks.

Investors should note that the announcement describes the distribution as “N2.00 kobo.” Given the company’s earnings per share and conventional dividend reporting, this appears intended to mean ₦2.00 per share.

The notice also contains an apparent date error in one section, referring to July 31, 2025, although the qualification and payment details elsewhere clearly indicate July 31, 2026.