Kimberly-Clark, the American multinational that makes Huggies, has announced that it will discontinue local manufacturing and sales operations in Nigeria. This concludes the company’s 14-year presence in the country. The firm announced this decision on Friday, 31 May 2024. It ascribed the move to its newly revised worldwide strategy priorities and Nigeria’s current economic conditions.

“Kimberly-Clark today announces it has made the difficult decision to exit its business in Nigeria after almost 15 years, due to recently refocused company strategic priorities globally as well as economic developments in the country,” said the statement. The firm announced that it will close its manufacturing facilities and commercial office in Lagos, ending production, marketing, and sales of Huggies and Kotex products in Nigeria.

Kimberly-Clark had made considerable investments in Nigeria, establishing a facility in the Ikorodu region of Lagos in 2022 at more than $100 million. The company follows a recent trend of global firms leaving the Nigerian market. In August 2023, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc revealed plans to outsource its business activities to a third party.

Similarly, in November 2023, Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited, a French pharmaceutical corporation, ceased direct operations in Nigeria. Procter & Gamble has also stated that by December 2023, it intends to transition from local manufacture to importation. The departure of these international companies indicates a difficult business environment in Nigeria, causing global firms to reconsider their market strategies.

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