Benue to inaugurate three factories, eyes 1,500 jobs for youths
The Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) is set to inaugurate three factories in October 2025, with the potential to create over 1,500 jobs for youths in the state.
According to Punch, the Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, disclosed this to journalists in Makurdi, the state capital, on Thursday.
The factories, which include the Food Basket Brewery, Benfruit, and a juice production plant, are part of the company’s efforts to boost the state’s economy and provide employment opportunities for young people.
Asemakaha said, “The Food Basket Brewery, Benfruit and Juice factories all will take off in October this year. We are projecting to employ not less than 1500 direct jobs across the three businesses.
“At the moment, Benue doesn’t have businesses, we are introducing these businesses so that it will help us boost our economy and take our youths out of the streets.”
Asemakaha, who took delivery of 10 truckloads of machinery for the brewery, said the company had earlier received 16 truckloads of machines out of the 50 expected for the project.
He explained that the new factories would complement existing ones such as table water, nails, polythene, and bakery factories, all aimed at reducing youth unemployment in the state.
He added: “To establish a standard brewery, about £5m to £10m was needed for the project and we have already started and there is no going back.”
When inaugurated, he projected that the brewery alone would generate between N400 million and N500 million monthly.
Asemakaha said that factories previously established had provided 580 direct jobs and over 3,000 indirect jobs for the people of the state.
He said, “We want our money to rotate within the state to boost our economy. The brewery is a big market. The profit of the Nigerian Brewery the last time I know was over 26 billion a month.
“At the end, Benue is one of the contributor in that market but we didn’t tap into it. Even if we are able to have within 50 to 60 per cent it should be able to return the cash flow within the state.”
