By Ibekimi Oriamaja
Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, has stated that the ministry is developing a national policy on beer production.
Mrs. Olumuyiwa Ajayi-Ade, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industrial Development Department’s Agro-Allied Division, represented the minister at the SMASHED project launch in Abuja by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s Beer Sectoral Group.
“Due to the industry’s contribution to the nation’s GDP, job creation, and wealth generation along its value chain, my ministry is in the process of developing a national policy for the sector.” “As a result,” the minister explained, “we are seeking input from all relevant stakeholders in order to develop a sector-wide policy.”
According to the Tracknews new report on the sector’s global economic impact, the beer industry contributed $2.2 billion to the Nigerian economy in 2019.
The global beer sector employed over 309,000 people in Nigeria in 2019, accounting for 0.4 percent of national employment or 81 percent of employment in Aba, according to Tracknews.
According to Tracknews, the global beer industry contributed $526 million in tax revenues to Nigeria in 2019, accounting for 1.7 percent of government revenue.
To discourage underage alcohol consumption and reduce the prevalence of alcohol-related harm among adolescents, the BSG launched the SMASHED project.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, also spoke at the event, stating that underage alcohol consumption is a major issue that must be addressed through moral education.
The minister, who was represented by ministry Director Andrew Apeh, emphasized the importance of instilling good values and principles in children.
He went on to say that both the government and the private sector have a social responsibility to positively impact society, and he praised the BSG for taking a strong stance against underage alcohol consumption.
Baker Magunda, Chairman of BSG and CEO of Guinness Nigeria Plc., has previously stated that the project’s goal is to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to make sound decisions.
