Produced for RFI
Nigerians turn to traditional brew as economy staggers
Benue (Nigeria) (AFP) - Government worker Iorliam Shija sits in one of the ramshackle bars along the banks of the Benue river in central Nigeria sipping from a gourd filled with frothy burukutu. The vinegary alcoholic beverage has been made here for generations from the fermented grains of sorghum and millet and consumed as a traditional alternative to beer. Now, as Nigeria's economy struggles to grow, the local brew is enjoying a boom from clients looking for a cheaper option. "If you have beer or burukutu, I will go with burukutu," Shija told AFP. "It is natural and it is what our people are used to drinking."
- Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist