It was a reflection of old memories when the Coca Cola beverage through Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) hosted business partners and captains of industry to a breakfast to commemorate its 60 years anniversary in Nigeria.

The company used the opportunity to showcase footages of Coca Cola’s journey to Nigeria, whilst Kelvin Balogun, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited (CCNL), said the journey of Coke from Atlanta to Nigeria  in 1951, was a voyage with impressive and notable footprints across the globe.

He said that beyond Atlanta where Coke was established in 1886, Tennessee became the first place to bottle Coke in 1899 following the sale of rights to two businessmen. In 1906, Coke plants were in Canada, Cuba and Panama, while some years later, a plant was opened in pre-Communist China  in 1912.

Balogun said that the first Coca-Cola bottling plant in Europe was set up in Paris and Bordeaux in 1919. In 1938, Africa’s first Coca Cola bottling plant was set up in South Africa while it arrived in Nigeria in 1951, nine years ahead of independence.

He, however, recalled that three men shaped Coca Cola.They were John Pemberton, the scientist who invented the formula on May 8, 1886, Frank Robbinson, the artistic genius coined the name Coca Cola and developed the logo while Asa Candler, the marketing genius who launched the advertising and promotions shaped the world of Coca Cola.

Contributing, Amb. Segun Apata,  Chairman, NBC at the breakfast meeting, appreciated  all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the brand.