Unilever Nigeria Plc will pay an interim dividend of N2 per share on 18 November 2026, its second N2 interim this year. The announcement came with unaudited results showing profit after tax of N26.40bn for the nine months to 30 September, up 20.1% from N21.98bn a year earlier.
The first, for the half-year to 30 June, was paid on 14 August, bringing 2026 interim dividends to N4 per share.
Key dates
Under the dividend notice, dated 23 October and published on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), shareholders on the register at the close of business on Friday 30 October qualify. The register closes from 2 to 6 November inclusive, and payment is due on Wednesday 18 November.
The dividend will be paid electronically to shareholders who have completed e-dividend registration with the registrar, Greenwich Registrars and Data Solutions Ltd; others are advised to register. The dividend is subject to withholding tax, and no bonus shares were declared.
Anyone buying to qualify should check settlement timing with their stockbroker before 30 October.
In its press release, the company put the total payout at about N11.5bn, matching 5.745 billion shares at N2 each.
What the numbers show
These are nine-month figures, not third-quarter ones. Revenue rose 18.4% to N184.01bn, from N155.41bn a year earlier. Profit before tax grew 21.8% to N45.58bn, and earnings per share rose to N4.60 from N3.83.
Gross margin widened to 46.4% from 41.2%. Foods, described in the filing as savoury products, brought in about two-thirds of revenue, while Personal Care revenue fell 3.5% to N42.37bn.
Revenue growth slowed in the third quarter. From July to September, revenue rose 11.8% to N64.08bn and profit after tax reached N10.80bn.
What the company said
In a statement with the results, Managing Director Tobi Adeniyi said the nine-month results showed the business was resilient. He said consumer demand came under more pressure in the third quarter because household disposable incomes remained constrained. He added that the company stayed focused on value, availability, innovation and disciplined execution, and remained confident in Nigeria’s long-term potential.
Other details in the filing
Cash and cash equivalents fell to N91.34bn at the end of September, from N110.75bn at the start of the year. Net cash from operating activities fell to N10.26bn, from N32.83bn a year earlier, mainly because tax paid almost doubled to N20.40bn and more cash was tied up in inventories and receivables. Separately, spending on plant and equipment rose to N8.95bn from N1.09bn.
Unilever Overseas Holdings BV, a Unilever group company, owns 75.96% of the shares, so roughly three-quarters of the payout goes to the foreign parent.
What it means for shareholders
For illustration only: at N109.00, the NGX’s quoted price at the close on Friday 23 October, 1,000 shares would cost about N109,000 before broker fees. A buyer now would qualify only for this dividend, paying N2,000 before withholding tax. Only shareholders on the register at the close of business on 31 July qualified for both 2026 interims, worth N4,000 per 1,000 shares before tax. Trading is thin, so actual prices may differ. This is not investment advice.
What is still unclear
The notice does not state the withholding tax rate, so net payments are not yet known. We could not find an ex-dividend date published by the NGX.
The quoted price was unchanged at N109.00 on Friday 23 October in thin trade. Monday 26 October is the first full trading session since the announcement was widely reported.
The results are unaudited and may change when the full-year accounts are audited.