Dana Group

What Dana Group does

Dana Group is a privately held Nigerian conglomerate headquartered in Lagos that operates a diversified portfolio of manufacturing, distribution, and service businesses across pharmaceuticals, plastics, automotive, aviation, packaging, and commodities. The group is controlled by the Hathiramani family, with Ramesh Hathiramani as Group Chairman, Jacky Hathiramani as Group Managing Director/CEO, and Gautam Hathiramani as Group Deputy Managing Director. Its subsidiaries include Dana Pharmaceuticals (three ISO 9001:2015 certified plants in Ibadan and Minna producing generic formulations, IV fluids, and brands such as DANACID, Paradana, Ferrodan, DanaCee, LAM, and XPEL), Dana Plast (household plastic goods), Dana Motors/Kia Nigeria (automobile distribution), Dana Air (commercial aviation), Bubble Wrap Nigeria (protective packaging), DFM Nigeria, and DLC Africa.

Dana Pharmaceuticals is the operational core: it manufactures affordable generic drugs under WHO-specified standards and distributes them through approximately 360 primary distributors reaching all Nigerian geopolitical zones, supplying primary healthcare centers, hospitals, and pharmacies. Dana Plast produces buckets, storage baskets, food containers, dustbins, jugs, and basins using conventional plastics manufacturing technology. Kia Nigeria distributes Kia vehicles, genuine parts, and after-sales services through authorized dealerships. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales across these subsidiaries, with limited disclosed pricing data, and the group supplements its portfolio through co-marketing and distribution agreements with other Nigerian pharmaceutical companies.

The group employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people and reports no external institutional investors or public listing. Recent activity has centered on pharmaceutical portfolio refreshes (DanaCee Vitamin C syrup launch and Ferrodan Plus relaunch in late 2023), CSR initiatives, and brand-equity celebrations, with no disclosed M&A, funding rounds, or geographic expansion beyond Nigeria.

Name

Dana Group

Legal name

Dana Group of Companies

Website

https://danagroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Dana Group is a privately held Nigerian conglomerate operating across pharmaceuticals (Dana Pharmaceuticals), plastics (Dana Plast), automobile distribution (Kia Nigeria), aviation (Dana Air), and packaging, serving mass-market consumers, hospitals, pharmacies, and households throughout Nigeria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (424210)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Pharmaceutical Distributors (HLAIAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospital & Health-System Pharmaceutical Distributors (HLAIAJAD), Pharmacy Front-End & Sundries Distribution (Health & Wellness, Personal Care, Convenience) (CRAOAHAG)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Generic medications
• Plastic household products
• Automobile distribution
• Commercial aviation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Products Sales: Dana Pharmaceuticals generates revenue from manufacturing and selling generic pharmaceutical formulations (tablets, capsules, syrups) and intravenous infusion fluids under brands including DANACID, Paradana, Ferrodan, LAM, XPEL, and DanaCee. Distribution is through ~360 primary distributors reaching healthcare centers, hospitals, and pharmacies nationwide.
2. Plastics Manufacturing and Sales: Dana Plast manufactures and sells household plastic products including buckets, storage baskets, food containers, dustbins, jugs, and basins. Revenue is generated from direct sales of manufactured plastic goods to households and businesses.
3. Automobile Distribution: Dana Group distributes Kia vehicles and automotive parts through Kia Nigeria. Revenue is generated from automobile sales, genuine parts distribution, and after-sales services.
4. Airline Services: Dana Air (Dana Airlines) provides commercial air travel services, generating revenue from passenger ticket sales.
5. Protective Packaging Products: Bubble Wrap Nigeria manufactures and sells protective packaging materials for industrial and commercial use.
6. Co-marketing and Distribution Agreements: Dana Pharmaceuticals enters into co-marketing agreements with and distributes quality pharmaceuticals for reputable pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria, diversifying its product portfolio and revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dana Group is a Nigerian conglomerate that manufactures and distributes pharmaceuticals (generic formulations, IV fluids, branded antacids, analgesics, cough syrups, and vitamin supplements) through Dana Pharmaceuticals, produces plastic household products through Dana Plast, distributes Kia vehicles and parts through Kia Nigeria and Dana Motors, provides commercial air travel through Dana Air, and manufactures protective packaging through Bubble Wrap Nigeria. Its products are sold via direct sales, an extensive distributor network (~360 primary distributors), authorized dealerships, and retail channels across Nigeria.

Product overview

Dana Group is a diversified Nigerian conglomerate operating across multiple sectors through subsidiaries. The portfolio includes: Dana Pharmaceuticals (ISO 9001:2015 certified pharmaceutical manufacturing with brands like Danacid, Paradana, Ferrodan, DanaCee, LAM, XPEL, and intravenous fluids); Dana Plast (plastic manufacturing producing buckets, storage baskets, food containers, dustbins, jugs, and basins); Kia Nigeria (automobile distribution); Dana Air (aviation); Bubble Wrap Nigeria (protective packaging); DLC Africa (commodities); DFM Nigeria and Dana Motors (automotive parts and services). Products span affordable generic pharmaceuticals, plastic household goods, automobiles, and air travel services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dana Pharmaceuticals: Affordable healthcare solutions - pharmaceutical products including antacids, paracetamol, vitamin supplements, and intravenous fluids
• Dana Plast
• Bubble Wrap Nigeria
• Kia Motors Nigeria
• Dana Air
• DFM Nigeria
• DLC Africa
• DANACID
• Paradana
• Ferrodan
• DanaCee
• LAM Suspension
• XPEL

Products and services

• DANACID Antacid Flagship antacid brand of Dana Pharmaceuticals providing effective relief from hyperacidity, heartburn, gaseous distention, and peptic ulcer. Sold to healthcare providers and individual consumers through ~360 primary distributors across Nigeria.
• Paradana Paracetamol Paracetamol brand from Dana Pharmaceuticals providing pain relief and fever reduction in tablet and syrup forms, pleasantly flavoured for children. Available for consumer and healthcare-provider purchase across Nigeria.
• DanaCee Vitamin C Syrup Paediatric Vitamin C supplement with kid-friendly orange flavour designed to bolster children's immune systems and provide equitable access to nutrition. Sold to parents, pharmacies, and healthcare providers.
• Ferrodan Plus Capsules Iron supplement / blood-enhancer capsule product relaunched in 2023 with updated packaging, providing innovative and reliable pharmaceutical solutions for anaemia-related conditions.
• XPEL Cough Expectorant Cough expectorant product in Dana Pharmaceuticals' range of generic formulations for respiratory symptom relief.
• LAM Suspension Pharmaceutical suspension product for paediatric care manufactured by Dana Pharmaceuticals.
• Intravenous Infusion Fluids Leading range of intravenous (IV) infusion fluids manufactured by Dana Pharmaceuticals at three ISO 9001:2015 certified plants and supplied to hospitals and healthcare providers.
• Dana Plast Household Plastic Products Premium household plastic products manufactured by Dana Plast including buckets, storage baskets, food containers, plastic dustbins/waste bins, jugs, and basins (e.g., 80-litre basin, Russian Jug, Giant Bin, Jumbo Gari Container). Sold to Nigerian households, retailers, and businesses through direct sales and retail channels.
• Kia Vehicles (Kia Nigeria) Kia brand vehicles distributed, sold, and serviced through authorized dealerships across Nigeria under the Dana Motors / Kia Nigeria subsidiary, including genuine parts and after-sales service.
• Dana Air Passenger Services Commercial air travel services provided by Dana Airlines (Dana Air) for domestic passenger transportation within Nigeria.
• Bubble Wrap Protective Packaging Protective packaging materials manufactured by Bubble Wrap Nigeria for industrial and commercial packaging applications during storage and transit.
• DFM Nigeria Automotive Parts and Services Distribution, logistics, and automotive parts and services operated under DFM Nigeria Limited within the Dana Group automotive value chain.

Quantifiable outcome

• DANACID brand celebrated 25 years in Nigeria with millions of Nigerians using the product as their preferred antacid
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Reputable Pharmaceutical Companies in NigeriacoreOthersDana Pharmaceuticals operates co-marketing agreements with and distributes quality pharmaceuticals for reputable pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. These partnerships allow Dana to diversify its product portfolio and expand its reach by offering a wider range of pharmaceutical products through its established distribution network of ~360 primary distributors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• May & Baker Nigeria: Listed Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturer producing generics, IV fluids and OTC products with nationwide distribution. Closely comparable to Dana Pharmaceuticals on manufacturing footprint, IV-fluids focus and broad generics portfolio serving Nigerian hospitals and pharmacies.
• Fidson Healthcare: Nigeria-based pharmaceutical manufacturer focused on generics and therapeutic categories including antimalarials, antibiotics and IV fluids. Comparable to Dana Pharmaceuticals on local manufacturing, hospital-channel distribution and competing in similar essential-medicine categories.
• Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries: One of Nigeria's largest indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers with a broad portfolio of generics, OTC and consumer health products distributed nationwide. Most directly comparable to Dana Pharmaceuticals on local manufacturing scale, brand portfolio breadth and Nigerian distribution depth.
• Chellarams (DCL): Indo-Nigerian diversified conglomerate with operations spanning manufacturing, distribution, FMCG and industrial products. Directly comparable to Dana Group on the family-owned diversified conglomerate model spanning manufacturing, trading and distribution across Nigeria.
• Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals: Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor with brands in vitamins, anti-infectives and OTC segments. Comparable to Dana Pharmaceuticals on local manufacturing of generics and OTCs serving the Nigerian consumer healthcare market.

Broad incumbents

• BUA Group: Large Nigerian conglomerate spanning cement, sugar, flour, real estate and ports. Comparable to Dana Group on the diversified Nigerian industrial conglomerate model and multi-sector capital allocation strategy.
• Dangote Group: Africa's largest privately-held conglomerate with operations in cement, sugar, flour, salt, petrochemicals and logistics. Useful comparable for the Nigerian industrial conglomerate archetype, though at materially larger scale than Dana Group.
• GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria (GSK Nigeria): Multinational pharmaceutical major with Nigerian manufacturing and distribution operations across OTC, vaccines and prescription drugs. Competes with Dana Pharmaceuticals in OTC categories but operates at much larger scale and broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Kansai Plascon (Nigeria): Leading paint and coatings manufacturer with Nigerian operations, part of the broader Kansai Paint ecosystem. Comparable to Dana Plast as a Nigerian industrial manufacturer building consumer brand equity through local production.
• Chemical & Allied Products (CAP): Nigerian industrial chemicals and consumer products company with manufacturing and distribution operations. Comparable to Dana's plastics manufacturing and consumer-goods distribution activities, with overlap in industrial chemistry inputs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dana-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dana Group