Element Irish Whiskey Debuts in Nigeria
The debut of Element Irish Whiskey in the Nigerian whisky market has not come as a surprise to whisky enthusiasts. The co-founder of New Era Spirits, Elements parent company, was a former brand ambassador for Jameson Irish whiskey, covering West Africa. Living in Ghana, he looked after the world’s biggest Irish whiskey brand in Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Ivory Coast.
Fionn Cox has always believed that Nigeria is an ideal market for Irish whisky brands due to its young population. The deal would allow Elements to introduce large quantities of whiskey into Nigeria over the next five years.
Elements Irish Whisky Finds Ideal Nigerian Market
“Nigeria is often referred to as the ‘giant of Africa’ due to the emergence of its increasingly developing economy,” Cox said.
“With a more favorable economic climate, paired with one of the youngest populations in the world we have identified Nigeria as an area where a class of young professionals is likely to crop up, the very demographic Element Irish Whiskey is designed for.”
Despite the US representing 42% of the category’s sales today, Cox said that African and Far Eastern markets offer “greater opportunities to premium brands” due to their growing middle classes.
“Our target demographic (Gen X/Y) are the largest single group of consumers (29.5%), they have the highest percentage of female consumers (35%) and exhibit the fastest growth for new entrants of any demographic,” he added. “These consumers’ desires are not fulfilled by the current market offering.”
Element is one of the fastest growing brands having expanded to seven new markets since its inception in 2022. The brand has produced two popular expressions that have maintained high demand among whisky enthusiasts. The first was launched during its founding year and is dubbed Fusion Series R/1.0.
The spirit is a blend of both single malt and single grain whiskeys matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon, virgin American oak, oloroso Sherry, and seasoned stout casks.
The second whiskey is known as Lore Single Malt and was released in May 2023. The spirit was finished in ex-Bourbon, Madeira, and sweet Moscatel casks.