By Peter Duru, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has inspected ongoing construction at the Food Basket Brewery located in Akile along the Makurdi-Gboko Road, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to driving industrial growth across the state.
The Governor was joined on the inspection tour by the Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment, Alumo Orpin, the Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha and other senior management staff of the company.
They were conducted around major installations by the brewery’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Adoje.
Dr. Asemakaha introduced the Governor to Chinese expatriates handling the installation of the EBI production machines, key components of the plant while raising concerns about the lack of relevant technical skills among Benue youths.
He noted that over-reliance on foreign experts was financially draining, revealing that one expatriate has earned $250 per day for 92 days, excluding feeding and accommodation.
In response, Governor Alia directed BIPC to immediately select 12 Benue youths from across the state’s geopolitical zones for a six-week advanced training program in China on the operation and maintenance of the machines.
The trainees would participate in four batches, a move he said would help domesticate technical capacity and reduce long-term dependence on foreign contractors.
Addressing cheering community members who trooped out to welcome him, Governor Alia urged residents to protect the brewery as a collective asset. He described the project, alongside roads, underpasses, and other infrastructure currently underway as “a tip of the iceberg,” promising a full wave of industrial transformation by 2027.
The governor also encouraged the people to take part in the ongoing voter registration exercise to ensure they participate in upcoming elections.
BIPC noted that the Food Basket Brewery remains one of the flagship industrial projects of the Alia administration, implemented through the company as part of a broader plan to boost industrialization and revive Benue’s economy.
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