By Ngozi Onyeakusi,– Commuting in Lagos state can be hellish and sometimes nightmarish for residents with the ever increasing population on a daily basis. Most traumatic is the fact that easy access to transportation has become a daily dilemma for commuters in the metropolis which is the commercial capital of Nigeria.


With its traditional trademark of traffic jams and long queues and endless wait by commuters at bus terminals which often result in high transportation costs, neither the Lagos state government nor the Federal Government or any corporate organization have been able to offer a final panacea to the challenges of commuting in the City.
However, the arrival of Amber Energy drink, a premium brand on the stable of Amber Energy Drinks Ltd appears to be taking the bull by the horns in relieving Lagos commuters of the high cost of transportation along popular and identified routes through its unique Amber BRT and conventional free Bus ride initiative launched recently in the state.
For once, in the annals of commuting amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, residents commuting within the metropolis can now at selected time enjoy a smoother, easier and happier moments at no cost to their pockets courtesy of Amber Energydrink! How does this work, you may be tempted to ask. It’s just as simple as ABC! The brand owners of Amber Energy drink has put in place a well co-ordinated plan with the respective transport authorities such that all what is required by members of the public is to buy a Can of the drink at BRT bus terminals or yellow buses garages and parks in the City and get a BRT ticket for free! The Can as the automatic passport gives the commuter the free access entrance into the BRT buses or the conventional popular Lagos yellow buses depending on destination for a smooth relief and jolly ride between 4pm-6pm Mondays-Friday every week at work close.
It’s never been this fun, glamour and glitz as residents’ daily hassles which always climaxed with hectic commuting now get much relieved, relaxed and resolved.
Upon buying a Can of the much sought after energy drink, commuters take their seats inside the BRT buses as they savor the unique taste of the refreshing black, slim, sleek energy drink with natural caffeine and essential vitamins. It is not only filling, nourishing and stimulating, but pleasantly fun and appealing.
The initiative which rolled out two weeks ago is already creating requisite excitement amongst Lagos commuters as the Amber Energy drink with its specially designed Can has become the cynosure of all eyes at the selected and approved BRT and yellow buses terminals.
Selected bus terminals that have become the epicenter of Amber Energy drink free bus ride with fanfare are, Leventis, CMS, Oyingbo, Fadeyi, Maryland, and Ojota. (This runs Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for BRT buses) while Oshodi, Obalende, Marina, Ojuelegba and CMS (runs Wednesdays and Fridays) for the conventional Lagos yellow buses. At these locations and on those days, the sight to behold are the Amber Energy drink brand ambassadors beautifully clad in the branded T-shirts on black pants interacting and sharing the tickets to consumers for a rewarding and enriching “Amber Experience”.
Commenting on the novel initiative, a Lagos State Civil Servant, Mr. Opeyemi Ojulari who boarded the bus at the Oyingboterminal after the day’s hectic work at the Railway station said “Commuting within Lagos metropolis has never been this fun, rich and exciting”, adding that the Amber Energy drink BRT Bus Ride activation has changed the face of social life at bus terminals from the monotonous and sometimes awful long wait on long queues to buy tickets and board the buses. He stated that since the initiative was launched, bus terminals have assumed a new social status in the form of lively chats, camaraderie and cheerful banters.
Speaking in a similar vein, Mrs. Sola Ijatuyi, a business woman with Boutiques at Marina area of Lagos expressed her joy at the BRT bus terminal at CMS, saying that she deliberately dropped her car at home to experience the free bus ride. Her words: “This is a wonderful effort by Amber Energy drink I must commend, saying that she “get double value for her money as the drink has become her favourite brand for stimulating her energy after tasting it on two previous occasions on the same route, According to Ijatuyi, “a sip of the smooth and refreshing taste of the drink after a long day at work gives a comforting relief and reboot”, she said smiling.
At Fadeyi BRT terminal, the story is the same with commuters queuing up in orderly manner, observing the social distance protocols to be part of the fun which has become the high point of social activity at the popular bus terminal.
Quietly seated and savoring the Amber Energy drink at the back corner of the BRT buses boarded at Fadeyi, Madam Elizabeth Okobi, a shop owner at the popular Lagos Yaba International market narrated her experience saying, “going home after close of work and having an energy drink to behold after all the troubles in the market for the day is a great and fantastic idea”. Continuing, she said, I feel relaxed and fully re-energized after drinking the energy drink and always look out for it the next day”. “In-fact, I am always in a haste to buy a Can and enjoy the drink these days.
Speaking on the initiative, the General Manager of Amber Energy Drink Ltd, Ms. Lola Adedeji said, “For us at Amber Energy Drinks Ltd, we have done everything possible, even what other companies cannot do to satisfy and meet our consumers’ needs and demands”. Her words, “We have taken our time not just to study the market but also who our consumers are and what they will need, and have decided that at every step on the way, Amber will meet the needs of its consumers, so, it is so much fun and many wonders are still coming from the Amber Energy world!”.
Corroborating the General Manager’s position, Head of sales and Marketing of Amber Energy drinks Ltd, Mrs. TemitopeAdetiba said, “We have embarked on this BRT Bus Ride initiative to make commuting in Lagos metropolis more fun and pleasure while meeting the physical, economic and emotional needs of our teeming consumers”.
The Head of Marketing said since it was launched into the market a few weeks ago, “Amber’s cardinal marketing objective is to always win with its consumers. “We identify the gap in the market, and we lapped on it to make life more better, pleasant and nourishing for our consumers”.
Driving the field efforts, Assistant Head of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Korede Omole said since the launch of the new energydrink, the market demand has been quite encouraging and inspiring, an indication that the brand owners have struck the right chord at the heart of consumers. “We could not expect less from the appreciative and grateful commuters who now see us and our brand as partners in progress.
Already, the energy drink has injected a new lease of life into the age-old in store retail marketing tradition in Nigeria amidst pomp and pageantry.
The introduction of the product, a premium brand was hall-marked by glitz, glamour and panache at most of the high-brow shopping malls, chain-stores and top of the table super markets in the Lagos state metropolis and suburbs. Amber energy drink is enhanced with potent herbal blend of Guara, Amino acids and Vitamins
Guarana is natural Caffeine used in beverages. It was said to have been added to Amber to ensure that along-side all the vitamins and nutrients packed in the can, consumer stays alert, energized and healthy.
The new energy drink is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting life styles, top of which is sports, entertainment and games.
Ámber is scientifically formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles ranging from sports to entertainment.
Amber is a non-discriminatory unisex energy drink, the first of its kind, Ms. Adedeji disclosed that Amber energy drink “provides a healthy way to stay active and energized all through the day”, pointing out that consumers would surely enjoy the nourishing and fulfilling taste of the slim, sleek and admirable trendy look of the brand in attractive package and affordable price. For more details and benefits, commuters and Lagos consumers are enjoined to visit the drink’s homepage @ amberenergy.com or amberenergydrink.com/about. Readers can also follow Amber social media handles @drinkamber on IG, Twitter and Facebook.
Nigeria’s energy drink sector is a lucrative industry with market research fore-casting a yearly consumption growth of over 6.5% by 2022.
This is slightly an increase in the 5% annual growth experienced between 2014 and 2016, which made the average consumption to be about 25.5 liters according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report January this year.
The arrival of Amber Energy Drink is no doubt another great opportunity to add to their list of choices and options in the market.