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“A cold beer is a good beer,” said Alexander Goma, director of sales for Guinness Nigeria, but concedes that too many outlets cannot keep fridges running. “We’re investing £5m a year putting cold equipment behind retailers so they can sell cold beer,” he said.

It is an essential part of the marketing message. Sales reps even travel with thermometers. If their beer is stored above the desired six degrees, vendors face a stern telling off. It is an ongoing, crucial battle.

Despite its enormous popularity, partly by funding charitable projects such as water pumps in deprived communities, Guinness remains very much number two in the Nigerian beer market with a 25% share. Nigerian Breweries and Consolidated Breweries, both majority-owned by Heineken, have an aggregate 63% share, mainly through lager brands such as Star, Gulder and 33 Export. The two are locked in a battle with Guinness to have their logos plastered around and favour bar owners with branded tables and chairs.

The two giants face a fresh threat — SABMiller, the biggest brewer on the continent, has now entered the fray, acquiring Pabod, a small Nigerian beer-maker, in a move it regards as “a toe in the water”.

Although Guinness has a presence in the lager market, with labels such as Harp, its central focus is stout. Nigerians have two forms of Guinness to choose from and each is different to the creamy drink familiar to Britain. The most popular, Foreign Extra, is lighter, but has considerably more wallop, at 7.5% alcohol by volume.

It is this extra punch that has heightened its appeal to Nigerians. It is sold on the basis of its masculinity and potency, never more so than in adverts that used to feature a James Bond-like figure, Michael Power. Today it sponsors the national football team and television broadcasts of English Premier League football.

The more settled political landscape has also been good for the brand, say analysts. “Research shows that political stability is a key component in the rise in beer consumption in Africa,” said Andrew Holland, drinks analyst at Evolution Securities, a stockbroker. “The fact that the Nigerian market has grown so strongly has a lot to do with the relative civil calm.”

While many Nigerians live in extreme poverty, Guinness is appealing to an emerging middle class, said Savage. In addition, there is a growing number of expatriate Nigerians returning home and “bringing Western culture to Africa”, he adds.

Come September, when Guinness stages a worldwide salute to the brand’s founder, Arthur Guinness, that culture is sure to embrace that little drop of Ireland that has been adopted by the Africans as its own.

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