| Administrative History | The Boots Company (Nigeria) was incorporated under The Boots Pure Drug Company on the 12 September 1960 under the name of Boots Pure Drug Company (Nigeria). Managing Director was Mr J R Pearce. The company primarily imported and marketed goods from its parent company in the UK as well as pharmacy goods, specifically codeine compound tablets, from Wellcome-Lepetit (Nigeria), and later toiletry goods from Del Falla (Nigeria).
In 1967 the business was largely dependant on codeine, which represented 47% of sales and until this date, the entire sales force was concentrated in Lagos. The company initially struggled with the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war in 1968 but managed to county growing in 1969 despite the continuation of the conflict.
In 1969 the company switched to local manufacture for Codeine Compound Tablets through Wellcome Lepitit, raw materials being supplied by Boots. It also purchased a plot of land with a view to establishing a Boots manufacturing facility. Toiletries were subsequently introduced in 1971 in particular the ‘Lady Gay’ range of products became another brand leader within the country. The introduction of Brufen together with toiletries helped the organisation grow further yet with sales increasing by 40% two consecutive years in a row in both 1970 and 1971.
By 1971 there was a full management team and a nationwide sales organisation. In 1971 a van selling operation was introduced, offering mobile depots which both sold and distributed products in an attempt to help reach more of the population (at this time Nigeria's population was 60 million and there were only 1200 doctors, 600 pharmacists and 350 retail chemists for the entire country). Three Ford Escort vans were also provided for the mobile selling of Lady Gay; providing pomotional vans to the salesgirls allowed them to cover more ground in less time and make more calls.
Until 1971 the brand only operated in the wholesale of pharmacy goods, establishing brand leaders such as Beecodeen (Boot’s brand compound codeine tablets), which up until 1967 had made up 47% of sales, Epitone (a vitaminised tonic) and Strepsils (for sore throats) as well as providing ethical drugs like Brufine (treatment for arthritis), which was introduced into the global market in 1969, and Furamide (treatment for amoebiasis) to government institutions and hospitals.
In 1972 Boots Pure Drug Company changed its name to The Boots Company and as a result Boots Pure Drug Company (Nigeria) became The Boots Company (Nigeria).
Changes in law within Nigeria in 1974 forced The Boots Company (Nigeria) to become a public company and the parent company was made to relinquish 40% of its equity, despite this the Nigerian market continued to prosper and was seen by as one of the best export markets and in 1976 had a record sales increase of 80% and a 100% increase in pre-tax profits. However severe economic problems within Nigeria in 1978 caused the government to levy import duties causing exports from the UK to reduce 32% in addition The Boots Company were forced to give up another 20% of its equity. Even with the opening of a pharmaceuticals production plant in February 1981 helping to offset the costs of increased tariffs problems encountered in 1984 in both obtaining clearance to import from the UK and paying in sterling for goods along with additional import restriction in 1985 caused further disruption for The Boots Company (Nigeria) and in 1988 the organisation was forced to dissolve. |