Nigerian Breweries, the Heineken majority owned brewer, has announced its highest profits in its 56-year history today.

Pre-tax profits jumped to 10 billion naira (US$86m), compared to 6.3 billion naira in 2000, according to Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) documents.

The leap occurred despite the strict rules that gover alcohol consumption in the country. A third of the country now follows the strict Islamic sharia legal code, which prescribes 80 lashes for drinking alcohol.