Nile Breweries Limited started as a single brewery in Jinja in 1951, it was nationalised by Idi Amin in 1972. In 1997 South African Breweries bought a 40% share in the brewery and this was raised to full ownership in July 2001.Eagle Lager was launched to promote the use of locally grown sorghum to make lager beers and to reduce reliance on imported raw materials. Brand extensions now include an Eagle Extra and Eagle Dark.