John Holt plc is a Nigerian conglomerate that participates in many areas of the economy.

The company traces its origins to 1862 when John Holt, 20 years old at the time, with £27 in his pocket, sailed from Liverpool to take up an appointment as a shop assistant in a grocery store in Fernando Po (now part of Equatorial Guinea).

In 1868, Jonathan bought a schooner, which enabled the brothers to open more trading posts in West Africa.

In 1884, the brothers formed a partnership, John Holt and Company, to consolidate their business interests.

In 1961, the Liverpool company formed a locally incorporated subsidiary in Nigeria, John Holt Limited, to hold its Nigerian interests.