Plans to resuscitate Jos breweries underway

By Taye Obateru
A financial/management consultancy agreement designed to reposition the Jos International Breweries (JIB) has been signed between the company and Plateau Investment and Property Development Company Limited on one hand and Akintola Williams Deloitte, a renowned consultancy management firm on the other.

Under the agreement, Deloitte would take over the running of JIB as part of efforts to improve its fortunes, restructure it and do a thorough review of its strategic options. The consulting firm, according to a statement signed by JIB’s spokesman, Festus Fuanter, would also recommend a process that would lead to the emergence of a competent technical partner/core investor as a way of injecting life into its activities. Speaking during the signing of the agreement, Managing Director of JIB, Albert Kattiems expressed joy that the long_envisioned dream of transforming the company had become reality.

He thanked Governor Jonah Jang and the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba who along with other members of the state’s Economic Management Team brought the effort into fruition.

Team leader for Deloitte, Daniel Muller said the signing of the agreement was the first step in the process of resuscitating and making the company which he observed had a lot of potentials, profitable again. Another member of the team, Carl Orji thanked the Plateau State Government and JIB for the confidence reposed in the firm and pledged their commitment to achieving the objectives of the agreement and putting the company back on its feet.

The company which was once a pride to the state has been in financial difficulties resulting from obsolete equipment, lack of working capital and the absence of a technical/core investor.