NIGERIAN WINES AND SPIRITS MARKET GROWS BIGGER AS MP MASTER PIECE LTD. UNVEILS KUBANAH WHISKY BRAND; EMEKA IKE, CELEBRITIES URGE NIGERIANS TO PATRONIZE PRODUCT
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
L-R: Emmanuel Abisi; MD/CEO MP Master Piece Limited, Mr Emeka Ike; Destiny Etiko; Femi Adebayo; Nosa Rex all Brand Ambassador Pose with the Managing Director During the Unveiling of Kubanah Whisky Product by MP Master Piece Limited in Lagos.
A local brand with international standard, Kubanah Whisky has been unveiled in Lagos by Nigeria’s fast-rising wines and spirits company, MP Master Piece Ltd. As this new product makes its entrance into the market, it is poised to take over as the no. 1 choice of whiskey drinkers, Trek Africa Newspaper can report. This is because it possesses a competitive edge with its unique taste, fine flavor, and local blend.
Present at the launching ceremony of Kubanah Whisky were Nigerian celebrities nominated to be brand ambassadors for the product. They include Destiny Etiko, Femi Adebayo, Nosa Rex and Emmanuel Abisi, a.k.a Nastyblaq.
In his Welcome Address, the Managing Director/CEO, MP Master Piece Limited, Mr. Emeka Ike affirmed that the new brand, Kubanah Whisky is seriously penetrating into the Nigerian wine and spirit market.
‘Today, we are in the Nigerian market to quench the appetite of an average Nigerian who consumes our brands. After our first brand launch of Skirt Brandy which of course gained acceptance in the country, Nigerians were happy seeing a local brand with international standard, so we decided to do more since there was increase in tastes, demand of our brand, hence Kubanah Whisky.’
L-R: Emmanuel Abisi; Destiny Etiko; MD/CEO MP Master Piece Limited, Mr Emeka Ike; Nosa Rex; Femi Adebayo, all Brand Ambassador Pose with the Managing Director During the Unveiling of Kubanah Whisky Product by MP Master Piece Limited in Lagos. Photo By Chinyere Ikeanyi
He added: ‘So, our brands are competing favourably in the Nigeria market, it’s purely made with local content. We are confident, focused doing our best because we have what it takes to make this country great and regain its lost glory.
Therefore, I believe in my country Nigeria, and I urge you let’s join hands to build Nigeria for our future generation.’
On the reason for starting his company within the harsh economic conditions of Nigeria, Mr. Ike told Trek Africa Newspaper: ‘I want to categorically state here factors that propelled us to go into the production of our first brand, Skirt Brandy and our second baby, Kubanah Whisky in spite of all the economic and environment challenges production process is facing in Nigeria.’
‘First, I was moved by passion and a burden to make a difference with our product in the Nigerian market with international standard. Again I want the world to know that Nigeria has all it takes to produce quality wine and spirit beverages.’
‘Moreso, I have a burning desire to create jobs in my country especially for the youths who are roaming around the streets without any plan to make headway, knowing that the only way we can curb insecurity in Nigeria is by productively engaging our youths so that at they can earn money to spend and plan their lives.’
‘Most importantly, Nigeria cannot join in the commonwealth of nations until we embark on creativity, productivity with local contents.
We need to develop our country and the best option is by building and developing local industries. If we do this, jobs will be created, kidnapping, banditry, obtaining by tricks known as yahoo-yahoo and all sorts of crime wave will reduce, and then, Nigerian business environment will begin to attract foreign investors, the economy will now bounce back’, Emeka Ike said.
Bemoaning the economic challenges of the country, the MD/CEO of MP Master Piece Ltd said: ‘Presently, the state of Nigerian industries is nothing to write home about. We need to wake up to our responsibility. It should not be left in the hands of government alone, even though government has a greater role to play. Industries need steady power supply to thrive, tax rebate, good network road system etc. Let’s think of production and not importation, that is the only way the country can survive.’
‘A lot of industries had left our business environment and the more they leave, the more our labour market is populated. Let’s stop them from leaving. Most industries in Nigeria today struggle to pay salaries, many can’t pay for high cost of production. They struggle to survive because profit is spent on diesel and others.’
The ambassadors for the new brand also spoke at the unveiling ceremony. Destiny Etiko shared: ‘this brand will create jobs for the people who don’t have work and I expect that the brand will keep doing better. For me signing this deal, I looked at the authenticity of the brand, its originality, how it started and I found that it is worthy working for them. I have tasted the brand and I will give it a 90 over 100.’
Also speaking, Femi Adebayo noted: ‘This brand is indigenous to us. I believe we can produce local content that can compete with international brands. It is of value. This has a feel of local content, it is highly blended for us. You know you take some alcohol and you are having headache the next day. This one is not like that.’
‘It will create job opportunities for the youth. It will bring into our economy the money which will circulate through the production, distribution, consumption, buying, selling, it will help our economy. I signed this deal for a year, we can renew after a year’, he added.
For Nosa Rex, he said about Kubanah Whisky, ‘They are the no.1, they are the champion. I love the drink. I have tasted it. The special thing about it is that even if you don’t mix it, it has an amazing flavor’
The MD/CEO, Emeka Ike urged Nigerians to patronize the product. ‘I believe when you have good product and quality taste, it is best to have important personalities as part of our customers to patronize the product. And so that people will know that what they see outside, we can do it better. Our product is a registered trademark.’
On the role of the celebrities, he said: ‘I believe that the brand ambassadors that we choose will make good impact for the product to move.’
