The Benue State Government has disclosed that the state ranks among the highest consumers of alcohol, particularly lager beer, with an estimated monthly consumption of about N1 billion worth of beer.

During a tour of the proposed state-owned brewery, water, and bakery factories in Makurdi on Tuesday, May 8, 2024, Raymond Asemakaha, the Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), revealed this to journalists.

He emphasized that upon completion, these factories would play a crucial role in curbing capital flight to other states.

Asemakaha explained that the decision to establish the brewery stemmed from recent findings highlighting the substantial amount of money leaving the state monthly due to staggering beer consumption.

According to him, the study indicated that N850 million worth of beer is consumed monthly from January to November, with December witnessing an even higher consumption, totaling over N1 billion annually.

“Basically, when we came on board, we understood that the rate of alcohol consumption in the state is around N850m-N870m per month.

“We understand that the people who sell these beers are taking this money out of Benue State.

“So, we concluded that all we need to do is float a new company that can be able to retain the cash flow in the state. That is why we are embarking on beer production.

“This N850m to N870m is a monthly sale of beers in the state and, in December, the sales were over N1bn. So, one of the things we are doing is to help retain the cash flow within the system.”