The Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) has announced that its new fruit juice factory in Makurdi will officially begin operations on October 1, 2025. Located along Naka Road, the factory is fully equipped to process mangoes and oranges sourced directly from local farmers, offering them competitive prices and a guaranteed market.
Speaking on the development, BIPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, said the factory will create 400 direct jobs and help stabilize fruit prices in the region. He emphasized that the facility will curb the influence of exploitative buyers from outside the state and ensure that Benue’s farmers—renowned for their high-quality mangoes and oranges , receive fair compensation.
The factory is also expected to attract technical partnerships from the European Union, a move that Asemakaha says will ensure adherence to high production standards and position Benue’s produce for broader markets.
This project is part of a broader wave of industrial initiatives in the state, which BIPC says has already led to the creation of over 580 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs through operations in bread, water, nails, and polythene production.
Progress is also being made on the Benue Brewery, with the company announcing that the facility will soon be operational. It is projected to create over 1,000 jobs, relying heavily on local inputs such as cassava and rice.
Asemakaha urged young people in the state to acquire vocational skills to take advantage of these emerging job opportunities. For long-term sustainability, he proposed a partial privatization model for state-owned enterprises to encourage local participation, improve efficiency, and ensure better corporate governance.
