Nigerians turn to traditional brew as economy staggers

A woman pours a bucket "burukutu", a locally brewed alcoholic beverage made from the fermented grains of sorghum and millet, into a bigger pot in Makurdi on December 15, 2019. [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.