Benue juice factory, beer brewery ready for production

The Benue State-owned juice factory and brewery, focusing on the Zeva Premium Lager Beer, are ready for production and will be inaugurated in August and October, respectively.

Dr Raymond Asemakaha, Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), disclosed this in Makurdi on Wednesday during a tour of ongoing projects executed by Gov. Hyacinth Alia.

Our correspondent reports that the tour is organised to mark Alia’s administration’s second anniversary, assess the impact of his projects on the people and evaluate the administration’s delivery of democratic dividends.

The tour is led by a former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku and a former Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Mike Omeri in company of selected journalists.

Speaking during the tour, Asemakaha said the two projects which are designed to utilise local raw materials aimed to combat capital flight, boost the state’s GDP, and create jobs for local youths.

Specifically, Asemakaha revealed that the juice factory would be test-run within the next two weeks by technical experts from Italy.
“In the next 90 days, the factory will begin full operations.

“We are tired of seeing our oranges across the country and in other West African nations without value addition from within the state,” he said.

According to him, Benue boasts some of the best tropical fruits in the world, including oranges, pineapples, and mangoes.

He stressed that the factory would curb post-harvest losses and ensure local processing of fruits to create jobs and support rural farmers.

On the brewery project, Asemakaha said the factory which would begin operations by October 1 will utilise local raw materials such as cassava and rice.

He added that the project would further empower farmers and enhance the state’s agricultural value chain.

Asemakaha said the initiatives aligned with the government’s vision of inclusive economic development through agro-industrialisation.

“Every month, over one billion naira is spent on alcohol consumption in the state.

“We want to redirect that spending to our economy by producing our own beer,” he stated.

He added that the government had also invested in bread and water factories, which were already operational and positively impacting the livelihoods of local vendors and families.

“Some of the beneficiaries have told me they no longer struggle to pay school fees or buy BP medications.

“That is the result of inclusive governance,” he said.

The BIPC MD also disclosed that the state had created 474 direct jobs and over 3,000 indirect jobs through its industrial projects within one year.

Also speaking, Mr Boager Henry, the juice Plant’s Maintenance Manager said the abundance of fruits in the state informed the decision to establish the plant.

“We are targeting aged farmers whose produce often go to waste.

“This factory will enable us to collect and process fruits locally, rather than allowing them to perish or be exported as raw materials,” he said.

Henry said the initiative will not only reduce waste but also train local youths in technical skills, enhance productivity, and attract international support.