BAT WCA - About us

Part of a global Group

We are part of the world’s leading tobacco group with brands sold in more than 180 markets. We have a clear vision and corporate purpose to build A Better Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of our products through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for our consumers.

BAT Group

Founded in 1902, today the Group is a truly global company –it employs more than 55,000 people worldwide, operates in over 180 markets and has factories in more than 40 countries. The Group’s global business is divided into four regions and covers over 150 million consumers and 11 million retail points of sale, with a balanced presence in both high-growth emerging markets and developed markets.

BAT’s portfolio comprises combustible tobacco products, such as cigarettes, alongside a range of non-combustible products. These include New Categories of reduced-risk products – vapour products, tobacco heating products, and modern oral (tobacco-free) products, as well as traditional oral products such as snus and moist snuff.

The Group’s head office is in London and the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. In 2019, the Group generated revenue of £25.8 billion and profit from operations of more than £9 billion.

You can read more about BAT’s global business on our corporate website, bat.com.

First presence in West and Central Africa

BAT’s business presence in the West and Central Africa Area spans over a century, beginning with its acquisition of an equity interest in the Nigerian Tobacco Company (“NTC”) in 1912. By 1978, NTC (then co-owned by British American Tobacco (“BAT”) and the Nigerian Government) had three operational factories located in Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Zaria - all in Nigeria. In July 2000, however, BAT incorporated British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Limited (“BATN”) and merged it with NTC in November of the same year. BATN kept its name after the merger and became a fully owned subsidiary of the BAT Group.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), British American Tobacco Nigeria made a commitment to work with the Nigerian government in the following areas:

•  Regularisation of the tobacco sector;
•  Building of potential for regional exports;
•  Significant increase in the quality and quantity of tobacco grown in Nigeria; and
•  Establishment of an independent Foundation to engender rural socio- economic development.

As part of its commitment to the terms of the MOU, BATN engaged in the construction of a state-of-the-art factory in Ibadan, Oyo State. The factory was commissioned and began operations on June 17, 2003. On April 12, 2005, the factory was certified NIS ISO 9001:2000 by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria ("SON") and has received subsequent recertifications as well as NIS ISO 9001:2015 certification on October 10, 2017. Through this manufacturing hub, we produce and export our products to 14 markets in West and Central Africa.

Our historical timeline tells the story of our expansion in the West and Central Africa Area over the last century. We currently have 10 legal entities , 3 West and Central Africa Maket Clusters and are active in 16 markets. We currently export to 14 markets (Ghana, Cameroun, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Benin, Togo, Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Liberia) with Nigeria as the manufacturing hub.

Responsible Marketing and Youth Access Prevention

At BAT West and Central Africa, we are guided by our Group’s International Marketing Principles (IMP) and Youth Access Prevention (YAP) which emphasises responsible marketing of our products. As the industry changes, we have expanded our guidelines on Youth Access Prevention to cover New Category products too. While we operate in a dynamic, complex and competitive environment, our business has always been guided by the highest standards of excellence.

We act with integrity, never compromising our standards and ethics, and continually take active steps to ensure that our products are not accessible to children or persons under the legally acceptable age. For us, responsible marketing plays an important role in growing our business, and we ensure that ours is only directed at adult consumers; we support retailers with proof-of-age schemes and awareness trainings.

While we support the fight against illicit trade, especially as it causes revenue loss to the government, we also ensure the best quality products for our consumers, the best place to work for our people, and the best results for shareholders.

Our approach to New Categories

We significantly support research of New Categories of reduced-risk products, including vapour, tobacco heating and modern oral products. We are taking action to reduce the health impact of our products. For more information, please visit the British American Tobacco Group Website.

‘A Great Place to Work’

Our employees are our greatest assets. The quality of our people is a major reason why we continue to perform well – and why we are so excited about the future as we work together to deliver our purpose to build A Better Tomorrow™

We attract and retain experienced managers and graduate trainees who look forward to a challenging and rewarding career. Our company’s employment policies include a commitment to equal opportunity, which prohibits any form of discrimination, ethnic or religious bias.

The way our people operate is embodied in the BAT Ethos, which underpins our culture and guide how we deliver our strategy. We have been certified by Top Employer Institute as ‘A Great Place to Work’. At BAT, we attract and retain great talent.

Our Partners

We pride ourselves on the strength of our relationships with our suppliers and retailers – crucial business partners who are vital to our success and the sustainability of our company.

We believe we have a bright future. Through our market-leading brands, a successful strategy, talented people and sustainable partnerships, we will continue efforts to deliver value to our shareholders today while also investing in a sustainable and successful future for our business.