PZ Cussons UK, the parent company of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, says it has commenced plans to sell its African subsidiaries to any interested buyer.

The company record a foreign exchange loss of £107.5m “primarily arose from the translation and settlement of USD denominated liabilities in our Nigerian subsidiaries and is wholly the result of the devaluation of the naira, which fell by 70 per cent from May 31, 2023 to May 31, 2024”

The company stated this in its preliminary results published on its website for the year ended May 31, 2024.

According to the consumer goods manufacturer, the board has also received multiple interests regarding the sale of its African business.

The document reads :  “Over the last 12 months, we have made continued operational progress and delivered against the strategic priorities set out at the start of the year, against the backdrop of macro-economic challenges.

“At the same time, we have taken the important first steps to transform our business and maximise shareholder value, by refocusing our portfolio on where we can be most competitive.

“The period was marked by a 70 per cent devaluation of the Nigerian naira, which has had significant implications on our reported financials.

We have workedhard to mitigate the impact of this on the group, while continuing to serve Nigerian consumers who are facing unprecedented inflation and economic difficulties.”

On the sales of subsidiaries, the company said it has received, “a number of expressions of interest for our African business”, which recognises the potential of its brands and could lead to a partial or full sale.

In April, the Chief Executive Officer, PZ Cussons, Jonathan Myers, said the company was reviewing its brands and geographies over macroeconomic challenges and complexities in Nigeria.

He spoke a month after the Securities and Exchange Commission rejected PZ Cussons’ request to acquire the shares of minority shareholders in PZ Cussons Nigeria Limited, its Nigerian subsidiary.

In September 2023, PZ Cussons had shown interest in buying the remaining 26.73 per cent minority shares in its Nigerian subsidiary, at a price of N21 per unit.

As of May 31, PZ Cussons holds a 73.27 per cent stake in the Nigerian subsidiary, which represents 2.90bn shares, worth N45.53bn as of September 18.

The Nigerian subsidiary of the company, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has continued to struggle, as it posted a N94.78bn loss in the third quarter of 2023/24 compared to the N11.213bn gain it had in the corresponding period in 2022.