franchise. In the 1980s, NBL gradually increased its market share of the alcoholic beverage market at the expense of smaller breweries. In 1988, NBL facilities had to undergo a conversion process when the government banned imports of barley. The firm employed Heineken's technical assistance with the conversion process and also established a grain farm in Niger State to supply locally produced grains for the breweries. 21st century In 2010, NBL acquired beer factories from Sona Group makers of maltonic malt drink and franchise owners of Goldberg beer. The factories included Sona Breweries at Ota and Kaduna and Life Breweries at Onitsha. In 2014, the firm merged with Consolidated Breweries, producers of 33 export and Williams Dark Ale, a merger led by the company's leading shareholder Heineken. In December 2018, a Nigerian court ruled that Nigerian Breweries misled its consumers by selling Amstel Malt as a low-sugar product, which was an inaccurate statement. In March 2019, a Nigerian Federal High Court dismissed Nigerian Breweries' suit against the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (filed in 2018) which asked the Court to look into the authority of the Lottery Commission regarding sales promotion to consumers. Nigerian Breweries had been nailed by the Lottery Commission for running illegal lottery operations as part of a marketing promotion. In 2019, the journalists Olivier van Beemen and Femke van Zeijl won a De Tegel prize for their revelations about Nigerian Breweries' high-end corruption. In December 2020, Nigerian Breweries launched the tequila-flavored beer Desperados. In August 2021, Hans Essaadi became the new CEO of Nigerian Breweries. Products Most of the products are packed in returnable bottles and all products are now available in cans. Fayrouz, Maltina and Amstel Malta are also produced in P.E.T Bottles The company's head office is located in Lagos. Alcoholic beverages Star Lager (launched in 1949) Pale Lager Gulder lager beer (1970) Pale Lager Legend Extra Stout (1992) 6.5% ABV Extra Stout Heineken Lager (June 1998) Premium Lager Tiger Premium Lager Beer (2018) Goldberg Lager (October 2011) Life Continental Lager (October 2011) Star Lite Lager (February 2014) Pale Lager 33 Export Lager (January 2015) Williams Dark Ale (January 2015) Turbo King Stout (January 2015) More Lager (January 2015) Star Radler (July 2015) - now in two varieties, Citrus and Red Fruits Desperados (December 2020) Tequila- Flavoured Pale Lager Ace Rhythm (September 2015) Strongbow Cider (November 2015) Alcohol-free drinks Maltina (1976). (Originally launched as a classic