By Chris Agabi
Worried by the abandonment of the Makurdi plant of the Nigerian Breweries, the Benue State Government has called for the revival of production at the plant in 90 days.
The ultimatum was given by Dr. Raymond Asemakaha (CFA), the Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC), during a meeting with representatives from the Nigerian Breweries at the BIPC corporate headquarters in Makurdi.
The Nigerian Brewery production plant located along the Makurdi-Gboko Road has been shutdown for years and turned to a warehouse thus depriving the state of much needed economic benefits like direct/indirect jobs, tax revenues and axillary services.
The BIPC recently announced plans to set up brewery to tap into the huge market the north central offers. However, the MD he’s not averse to the private sector investing in the brewery so it can free the government funds for othe manufacturing plants. The more the merrier Dr. Asemakaha told Economy Footprint.
He emphasised that if the NBL doesn’t show sufficient commitment to revive the plant, the BIPC will go ahead with it’s planned investments.
He said the BIPC is committed is reviving the state’s industrial sector.
Dr. Asemakaha expressed the state government’s eagerness to see companies operating in Benue return to full production, stating that the state has a wealth of raw materials, such as sorghum, as well as a readily available workforce to support the brewery’s operations.
“We’re giving them (Nigerian Brewery) a 90-day ultimatum to resume production because if it is sorghum, we have sorghum. If it’s manpower, we have manpower,” Dr. Asemakaha said.
The Managing Director also highlighted the state’s efforts to create a more business-friendly environment, including the introduction of a one-stop shop for ease of doing business and the offer of tax holidays to incentivize investors.
“The state has introduced easy ways of doing business with a one-stop shop, and so with tax holidays, it is important for you to quickly return to production,” he added.
He lamented that the Nigerian Breweries failed to utilize the backward integration that would have transformed Benue farmers but rather choose Kaduna State in spite of the fertile land the state has for sorghum cultivation.
In response, Joy Egolum, the Corporate Affairs Manager covering the East and Middle Belt for the Nigerian Breweries ,acknowledged the state’s efforts and expressed the company’s willingness to consider the incentives offered.
However, she noted the challenges associated with the immediate resumption of operations, stating that even routine maintenance can be time-consuming.
“We will come back to you very soon; we don’t need 90 days, but anyone who runs a production line will agree with me that even doing maintenance takes a longer time. So it’s not possible for us to do production within that time frame, but we understand how passionate you are, and we will get a response before the 90 days and proceed from there,” Egolum said.
The Benue State Government’s initiative to revive the state’s industrial sector and attract investment underscores its commitment to economic development and job creation for its citizens.
