6
Bk. - Je- lui
After his speech, Mr. C.E. Abebe,
chairman of the Board of Directors of
Nigerian Breweries Ltd., cuts the superbly
decorated inauguration cake.
carrying sections which can be moved
vertically and which made it possible for
the Apollos to be lowered to pass under a
viaduct which crosses the Lagos-Ibadan
road. with a mere 5 centimetres to spare.
A purpose-built electric power station has
been installed in the brewery. Three diesel
generators, each with a 2,000 h.p. rating,
permit the brewery to operate
independently of the local electricity
company.
Over three hundred site-workers spent
several years on the construction of this
brewery. They included a few dozen
Europeans who were largely responsible
for installing the machines. These
temporary emigrants made their homes in
a specially constructed village on the edge
of the site. Meanwhile six houses have
been built on the site as accommodation
for the brewery's permanent operating
staff, and for visitors.
With approximately 1000 employees, the
brewery will mainly make Star and Gulder
beers as well as a malt beverage and Green
Sands Shandy on bottling lines with a
capacity of 108,000 big bottles per hour.
All in all, a project that Nigerian Breweries
can be proud of, as can U.A.C.
International, which supplied the
commercial and financial advice, and
Heineken Technical Services, which took
care of the technical side of things.
Inauguration
Last autumn the Ibadan brewery was
officially opened by the Vice-President of
Nigeria, His Excellency Dr. Alex
Ekwueme, who unveiled a copper
commemorative plaque, thus inaugurating
the fourth brewery of Nigerian Breweries
Ltd.
A shadow was cast over the opening
ceremony because of the passing away on
the previous day of the Olubadan, a
traditional ruler in Nigeria, who was to
have broken open the cola nut. This is an
old Nigerian custom which serves to obtain
a blessing. On account of his death some of
the festivities were cancelled, like the
dancing by various traditional groups. The
official part of the opening was concluded
by a visit to the huge brewery site. The
plant is already operating at its maximum
capacity.
The brewery site with surroundings
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