THE GROUP Managing Director (GMD), Benue Investment Property Company (BIPC), Dr Raymond Asemakaha, says that the newly established Food Basket Brewery and Benue Fruit and Concentrate Company, has created 1,000 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect ones.
Asemakaha made the disclosure on Friday in Makurdi when he conducted media executives led by Mr Bayo Onanuga round the facility.
He said that 25 slots of the direct jobs were exclusively reserved for the host community where the brewery was built.
He stated that the brewery, which is currently being test-run, was built from scratch by the Governor Hyacinth Alia government.
The GMD listed the products of the brewery to include Zeva Lager Beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and bitters.
“The state government has 80 per cent of the shares of the company, while BIPC has 20 per cent. No fewer than 12 Benue citizens have been sent to China to be trained in the production and maintenance of the machines.
“We also have a hospital for the community to tackle health concerns. Members of the host community give births free of charge at the hospital,” he added.
He said that all the equipment needed for the brewery was imported with the support of the Federal Government, adding that it (federal government) gave a waiver on the import duty of the equipment.
The GMD disclosed that the juice and concentrate companies would commence production on February 28, a move expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses. (NAN)
