After navigating a turbulent 2024, Nestlé Nigeria Plc has kicked off 2025 with its strongest financial performance in history.

The food and beverage giant reported N294.9 billion in revenue and a pre-tax profit of N51.15 billion for the first quarter—an extraordinary rebound from the N196 billion loss it suffered in Q1 last year.

The post-tax profit came in at N30.18 billion, representing a 121% year-on-year increase.

This surge in earnings reflects strong topline growth, cost management, and a sharp decline in currency-related losses that weighed heavily on the company last year.

Sales rose nearly 61% compared to Q1 2024, outpacing the 30% rise in the cost of goods sold.

This helped the company more than double its gross profit to N119.7 billion.

Even with a spike in marketing and distribution costs, up nearly 77%, and administrative expenses growing by 30%, Nestlé still achieved a 254% leap in operating profit, reaching N74.15 billion.

A major factor in the turnaround was the dramatic drop in finance costs.

In Q1 2024, the company had taken a hit of over N191 billion due to exchange rate revaluations.

This quarter, that figure was slashed to just N163 million, helping earnings recover significantly.

Earnings per share climbed to N38.07, also up by 121%, giving investors renewed optimism.

Nestlé’s total assets stood at N898.9 billion, up slightly from the previous year, while its shareholders’ funds, though still negative at N62.26 billion, improved from the N92.29 billion deficit recorded at the end of 2024.

The company remains heavily dependent on Nigeria’s domestic market for its revenue, making local economic conditions key to its performance.

Still, Nestlé’s turnaround has not gone unnoticed on the stock market.

Its share price has surged by 25.7% so far this year, a sharp reversal from the 20% decline it recorded during the same period last year.

After a painful 2024, Nestlé appears to be regaining its footing, and investors are taking note.