By Chris Agabi
The Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) has commenced the construction of its proposed brewery.
The brewery located at Akile village along the Makurdi-Gboko Road is worth about N800 million.
The brewery is conceived to tap from the about N870 million monthly beer market in Benue state and the over N2bn bear market from adjourning states of Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi and Enugu states. This is to help the state retain cashflow within the state and attract new capital for neighbouring states.
The Managing Director of the company, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha-CFA, accompanied by management, inspected the progress of work at the factory on Monday, July 1, 2024, a statement from BIPC said.
During the inspection, Dr. Asemakaha expressed his desire to see the project completed on schedule and praised the efforts of the staff handling the project.
While encouraging Benue people to farm sorghum and casava, the Managing Director revealed that in the next 20 days the company will be inviting Benue citizens to test the proposed beer in five different locations across the state.
“This brewery, which is expected to be completed soon, will provide direct jobs for hundreds of youths; have a backward integration for thousands of Benue farmers, and contribute to the growth of the economy in line with the vision of His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia,” the MD added.
He was conducted around the company by the Department Head of Real Estate and Infrastructure, Arc. Jerry Iosun, and Project Programme Manager, Philip Zegejir, who provided updates on the progress of the work.
The construction of the brewery is a significant milestone in the development of Benue State and is expected to have a positive impact on the lives of the people.