From Joseph Uchenna, Makurdi
The Benue Investment Property Company, BIPC has set October 1st,2025 as date for commencement of operational of its Juice factory sited at the industrial layout Makurdi.
Group Managing Director, GMD, BIPC, Dr Raymond Asemakaha who disclosed this on Tuesday while interacting with Journalists at the NUJ House in Makurdi, explained that equipment installation at the factory is 100 percent completed, adding that the company will engage over 400 persons.
Asemakaha stated that the company would be producing mango and orange juice by taking off the fruits from Benue farmers at the state price and setting prices for those who come from the north to exploit the Benue farmers.
He said “We have installed the juice factory. It is going to start start precisely October 1, 2025. The juice factory is just beside Naka road having 65, 000 capacity and 100 percent installed.
“We are expecting the manufacturer to come in the month of August to test run so that we would start producing the orange juice and Mango juice.
“We want to set a standard and by the time we start we would determine the price of oranges in Nigeria. Benue has the best orange and mango and our people take it to the North and give them at a price that is not reasonable. So we want to halt those things and if they want to buy, they can come to Benue at our own price which is one of the things we are doing.
“The factory would also employ about 400 staff with direct Jobs and I have gotten partners from European Union that would come to run these factory as it is highly technical while our team would be part of the management staff.”
The GMD also intimated plans to revive the Tomatoes Juice Industry located in Wannune, Tarka local government area home country of the Secretary to Government of the Federation Sen George Akume.
According to materials for the industry will arrive the state in September, 2025,
He said the establishment of water, bread, nails and polythene industries, BIPC has employed 580 direct jobs and 3008 indirect jobs in the state.
He further noted that the construction work on the new Benue Brewery is 84 percent completed and would also engage over 1000 persons.
He said the brewery would make use of local materials including cassava rice among others urging farmers to go into massive production of the raw materials.
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On the sustainability of the companies after his exit from office, Asemakaha dismissed the old insinuation that government has no business managing businesses citing Akwa Ibom Airlines and some companies in China owned and operated by government, decrying that the problem is character of the business managers.
He suggested that the companies should be incorporated into limited liability companies where the state government can own 50 percent of the shares and sell the other percent to the people.
He also, urged Benue youths to acquire skill in addition to their certificates to enable them fit into the new economy.
