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Nigeria’s manufacturing sector may not always grab headlines, but it quietly powers a huge chunk of the economy, creating jobs, stabilizing supply chains, and reducing dependence on imports where possible.
And behind many of the country’s most successful made-in-Nigeria products are powerful business families who took the bold step of building factories long before it became fashionable.
These families didn’t just enter manufacturing; they shaped it. From cables to cement, plastics to household goods, they’ve grown small workshops into billion-naira empires, navigated multiple economic cycles, and kept production alive despite harsh operating conditions. Their companies have become household names, their products everyday essentials, and their influence a defining force in Nigeria’s industrial history.
Today, we spotlight the families whose vision and business acumen continue to set the pace in the sector. Here are the Top 10 families behind the factories driving the nation’s industrial backbone.
- The Dantatas
Business: Dantata Organization
The Dantata Organization Ltd stands as one of Nigeria’s most enduring family-owned conglomerates, with operations spanning diverse industries and expansion plans reaching Saudi Arabia and beyond. The company’s foundation and growth are credited to Aminu Alhassan Dantata, born in 1931 in Kano State, Nigeria. A visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist, Aminu Dantata has been recognized nationally with the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and served as the first Chancellor of Katsina State University.
The second generation of the family continues the legacy with Tajuddeen Aminu Dantata, Group Managing Director; Abubakar Sadik Aminu Dantata, Managing Director of Express Petroleum and Gas Company Limited; and Hassan Aminu Dantata, Director and Managing Director of Fertilizer Processing Company Limited.
Hailing from a lineage of accomplished business figures, including Ahmadu, Sanusi, and Abdulkadir Dantata, the family remains deeply involved in all aspects of the business.
- The Ezennas
Business: Orange Drug Company
The Orange Drugs story began in 1985, when Sir Tony Ezenna transformed his father’s small chemist shop into Orange Drugs Limited with just N15,000 in seed capital.
Subsequently, Orange Drugs Limited joined the beauty care industry through the importation of soaps, creams, and other beauty products. By 2006, the Company commenced the local production of different brands of soaps in Lagos, and this was aimed at boosting the Nigerian manufacturing sector and also creating jobs for the populace. In order to meet up with the challenges in the global economy, Orange Drugs Limited later diversified its line of business by the establishment of Orange Kalbe Ltd and Orange West Africa Limited, leading to the formation of the Orange Group.
In the pharmaceutical space, Orange has forged enduring partnerships with some of Indonesia’s largest firms, including Kalbe Farma, Tempo Scan Pacific, Dexa Medica, and Mensa Group on products like Procold, Mixagrip, Sudrex, Boska, Delta Soap, Passion Energy Drink, and Extra Joss Energy Drink. They also offer products like Ginmil, Mintacid, and Tempovate Cream. Its relationship with Kalbe Farma dates back to the company’s founding in the 1980s, reflecting a decades-long commitment to international collaboration.
Recognition of Orange’s impact came early. In 1995, the company received the “Star Donor Award” from the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria for its contributions to healthcare.
- The Nasreddins
Business: Nasco Group
NASCO Group is one of Nigeria’s most enduring manufacturing giants, with a legacy that stretches back to 1963. The company was founded in Jos by Ahmed Idris Nasreddin, a visionary entrepreneur who established the first jute bag factory in sub-Saharan Africa. His mission was clear: provide Nigeria with modern, efficient packaging for its vast agricultural output at a time when the young nation needed industrial solutions to support its growth.
From that single factory, NASCO expanded steadily, diversifying into food products, household goods, packaging materials, and industrial chemicals. The company built its reputation on consistent quality, innovation, and a strong commitment to local manufacturing—a philosophy that helped shape Nigeria’s FMCG landscape for decades.
After the pioneering work of Ahmed Nasreddin, leadership transitioned to his son, Attia Nasreddin, who has served as Managing Director and now Chairman/CEO. Attia guided NASCO through modernization, brand expansion, and regional growth, reinforcing its position as a trusted name in millions of West African homes.
- The Fajemirokuns
Business: Henry Stephens Group
One of Nigeria’s most storied family ventures began with Chief Henry Oloyede Fajemirokun, CON, a visionary industrialist whose influence spanned trade, industry, and regional integration. Upon his death in 1978, the eldest son, Chief Dele Fajemirokun, inherited the sprawling Henry Stephens Group, comprising 19 companies, including industrial manufacturing, trading, shipping, and service enterprises.
Facing heavy debt, Dele revitalized the group, securing loans and restoring operational stability. His bold acquisition of a majority stake in T-CAS, an American firm owed millions by the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, transformed a modest N50,000 loan into a lucrative venture, exemplifying the family’s entrepreneurial audacity.
He went on to build an empire across insurance, food, telecoms provisioning, and investment.
His personal gambit during AIICO’s privatization, using 11 shell companies to secure an 11% stake, later acquiring the Bahamian 40% holding, made him the majority shareholder.
He chaired AIICO’s board, Kings Guards Securities, Johnson Wax (Baygon & Raid), Food Concepts & Entertainment (Chicken Republic), Xerox Nigeria, FSS Gases, Bluechip Communications, and DF Holdings
Today, the Fajemirokun family continues its multi-generational legacy, with Kikelomo Fajemirokun serving as director at AIICO Insurance.
- The Otudekos
Business: Honeywell Group
Founded in 1972 by Nigerian entrepreneur Oba Otudeko, Honeywell Group began as a food trading business before expanding into imports of dairy, steel, and stockfish for Nigeria’s growing domestic market.
The Group’s milestones trace Nigeria’s own economic journey: the relocation of its headquarters to Lagos in 1993; the 1997 construction of a 23,000-metric-tonne tank farm in Apapa; the 2009 listing of Honeywell Flour Mills on the Nigerian Stock Exchange; and the 2011 opening of the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, the first of the global brand in West Africa.
Oba Otudeko, through Honeywell Group, was a major shareholder and former chairman of FBN Holdings (now First HoldCo), but he recently divested his significant stake in July 2025, selling 10.43 billion shares in a block deal worth over N323 billion.
Today, Obafemi Otudeko, son of the founder and current Managing Director, is driving the Group’s next chapter. With more than 25 years of investment leadership, he has overseen landmark transactions, including Airtel Nigeria’s multi-million-dollar divestment and the 2022 sale of Honeywell Flour Mills.
- The Okoyas
Business: Eleganza Group
Few Nigerian names are as closely tied to local industry as the Okoyas. Their flagship, Eleganza Group, has been shaping consumer goods manufacturing for nearly five decades. With trading roots traced to the late 1960s, Eleganza formally began manufacturing in 1978, opening its first factory in Oregun, Ikeja.
From plastics and packaging to fans, chairs, diapers, and cosmetics, Eleganza products are fixtures in households across Nigeria and neighboring African countries.
At the helm is Chief Razaq Akanni Okoya, CON, billionaire industrialist, Aare of Lagos, and founder of Eleganza. His empire extends beyond manufacturing into real estate through RAO Property Investment Company.
Today, Eleganza employs about 5,000 people nationwide, making it one of Nigeria’s largest private-sector employers.
Leadership has since evolved into a family affair. Folashade Nimota Okoya, MON, wife of Razaq and current MD/CEO, has expanded Eleganza’s portfolio and strengthened its market presence. Together, the Okoya family represents a rare story of Nigerian industrial resilience, building a brand that powers everyday life.
- The Okonkwos
Business: Ekulo Group( Evans Limited)
The Ekulo Group of Companies traces its roots back to 1980, when Chief Dr. Emma Bishop Okonkwo (OFR) founded E.C. Okonkwo & Brothers in Lagos, trading in electrical appliances and beverages. In 1984, he incorporated the business as Ekulo, named after a steady, ever-flowing stream in his hometown of Ichi, Anambra State—symbolizing the consistency and reliability he envisioned for the company.
By 1985, Ekulo had expanded into the importation of beverages, food items, cosmetics, and stationery. That same year, it introduced Five Alive to the Nigerian market and began representing major global brands such as McVitie’s, Goya, and Tura. From 1989 to 1991, Ekulo became the sole representative of McVitie’s in Nigeria and launched Eva Wine, which has since become a household name in the non-alcoholic wine category. The company also represented premium brands like Moët & Chandon, Rémy Martin, and Johnnie Walker.
In the early 1990s, Ekulo diversified into stockbroking and real estate, leading to the establishment of Evans Industries Limited in 1992—now the manufacturer of leading soap brands such as Eva, Meditol, Hawaii, Unik, Gino, and Blossom Light.
Today, Ekulo remains a major force in importation and local manufacturing. The group is led by its founder and Chairman/CEO, Chief Dr. Emma Bishop Okonkwo, with Mr. Joseph Okonkwo serving as the General Manager/Group Managing Director, continuing a legacy built on consistency and Nigerian industrial growth.
- The Rabius
Business: BUA Group
BUA Foods Plc, headquartered in Lagos, is a leading Nigerian food company and a key arm of the BUA Group conglomerate, founded by Abdul Samad Rabiu. The company operates across multiple food segments, producing, processing, and distributing sugar, flour, pasta, rice, and edible oils, serving millions across Nigeria and beyond.
Its sugar division handles the production, refining, and distribution of raw sugar and by-products. The rice division operates a mill capable of processing over 200,000 tons annually, while the edible oils division specializes in converting crude palm oil into palm oil, stearin, and distilled fatty acids.
Founded as BUA International Ltd. in 1988 to import rice and steel, the company gradually expanded into food production with key milestones: the takeover of Nigeria Oil Mills Ltd.
In 2000, the establishment of BUA Sugar Refinery Ltd. in 2005, BUA Flour Mills in 2007, a rice division in 2014, and a pasta division in 2019.
In 2021, the company went public, becoming BUA Foods Plc, and is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. With a market capitalization of $2.6 billion in 2022, it ranks among Nigeria’s most valuable companies.
A previous report by Nairametrics reported that the group is investing over $65 million, entirely self-funded, to reconstruct Terminal B of the Rivers Port Complex, with completion expected in the first quarter of 2026.
