Nigeria’s fast–moving consumer goods sector has once again shown its resilience, with the country’s biggest listed firms delivering strong growth of nearly 50% despite inflation, currency volatility, and declining consumer purchasing power.
These companies span across food, beverages, personal care, and household products, reflecting the diverse needs of Nigeria’s over 200 million people.
The top ten fastest-growing FMCG companies in Nigeria collectively generated N3.71 trillion in revenue in the first half of 2025, compared to N2.48 trillion in the same period last year.
Their CEOs have managed not just to sustain demand but also to drive innovation and efficiency in an era where affordability and availability are critical. Their leadership has turned household names into revenue giants, making the sector one of the strongest contributors to Nigeria’s GDP.
This article examines the CEOs driving the performance of these companies, ranked according to their revenue growth.
For companies with differing financial year-ends, such as Guinness Nigeria (June year-end) and Honeywell Flour Mills (March year-end), the figures reflect their respective half-year periods—July to December 2024 for Guinness and April to September 2024 for Honeywell, corresponding to H1 2025 in their reporting cycles.
Wassim Elhusseini is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, a role he has held since September 2020.
Under his leadership, the company generated N581.1 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, a 43% rise from N406.9 billion in the same period of 2024. His stewardship has reinforced Nestlé’s position as one of Nigeria’s most influential FMCG companies
Elhusseini has been with Nestlé for more than two decades, joining the company in 2002 as Channel Category Sales Development (CCSD) Manager for Coffee & Creamers in Kuwait.
His career quickly gained momentum when, in 2015, he was appointed to lead the CCSD unit at Nestlé Middle East. A year later, he became Sales Director of Nestlé Middle East, where his strategic input helped establish the Nestlé Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, spanning 16 countries. By 2020, he was appointed Country Manager and Sales Director for MENA, a position that tested his ability to manage scale and complexity before taking up the top role at Nestlé Nigeria.
Before joining Nestlé, Elhusseini honed his skills in sales and operations outside the FMCG giant. He worked with Transmed as a Sales Account Executive between 1997 and 2001, building his commercial acumen in a highly competitive distribution market.
Earlier in his career, he served as an underwriter with Arabia Insurance Company, a role that sharpened his analytical and risk management capabilities. These early experiences gave him a solid foundation before embarking on his long career at Nestlé.
Academically, Elhusseini studied Public Administration at the American University of Beirut. He has further enriched his leadership profile through executive programs at globally renowned institutions, including London Business School, the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
