Proximo Spirits has appointed Ojo Adebere as Country Manager for Nigeria and Ghana, giving the world’s largest tequila producer its first dedicated leadership in two of West Africa’s most commercially contested spirits markets.
Adebere announced the role on LinkedIn this week, calling it “an exciting opportunity to further strengthen Proximo’s presence across two dynamic and fast-growing markets.” He joins from Josien Holdings Ltd, where he served as Commercial Director across Nigeria and Ghana since 2020, running simultaneous country management duties for Sovereign Brands, whose portfolio spans Belaire Rosé, Bumbu Craft Rum, and Cloud Chaser wines.
The appointment is a signal, not a formality. Proximo’s portfolio, covering Jose Cuervo, 1800 Tequila, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, The Kraken Black Spiced Rum, and Pendleton Whisky among others, has had significant global scale but limited structured presence in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria, where the spirits category is valued at approximately $2.84 billion according to the International Wine and Spirit Research, is exactly the kind of market Proximo needs a full-time operator for, not a regional afterthought.
Adebere brings close to two decades of premium spirits trade experience to the role, with fluency in how Lagos and Accra actually move product. His trajectory covers the full commercial stack: he started as a Trade Representative at GDN Moët Hennessy Nigeria in 2008, rose through Area Manager and South West Nigeria Manager roles over seven years, then crossed into Beam Suntory’s sub-Saharan Africa launch operation through Doron International in 2016. That run covered Effen Vodka, Courvoisier, and Diamond Champagne, brands that require a different commercial conversation than standard spirits. His Sovereign Brands stint added rum and luxury sparkling to the file.
“What continues to drive me is the passion for creating growth, opening new frontiers, and establishing premium brands in markets with enormous potential.” — Ojo Adebere
The hire comes as Proximo manages a period of distribution restructuring in its core US market, where the company exited Republic National Distributing Company in January 2026, a separation reported across the US trade press. Whether that reset frees up capital and attention for Africa plays remains to be seen, but placing a dedicated country manager in Lagos is a concrete step toward treating Nigeria and Ghana as priority markets rather than opportunistic export destinations.
For Proximo’s portfolio, the timing has logic. Jose Cuervo is already stocked across Lagos retail and on-trade, so the infrastructure is not starting from zero. What Adebere’s mandate implies is a move from passive distribution to active market development: route-to-market discipline, trade marketing investment, and the kind of account-by-account relationship management that actually builds volume in Nigeria. Ghana, smaller but growing, adds a two-market brief that suits his existing footprint at Josien Holdings.
The wider competitive picture will not make this straightforward. Diageo, Pernod Ricard, and Bacardi have all been investing in Nigeria’s premium spirits shelf for years. This publication’s alcoholic beverages coverage has tracked increasing competition for premium positioning as naira pressure squeezes consumer spending power. Adebere’s first task will be deciding which Proximo brands have the right price-point story for this market right now, and building the trade relationships to make that story land.
His priority dates are not yet public. The distributor arrangements for Proximo’s brands across Nigeria and Ghana are the first structural question his appointment raises.
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