…says Benue on path to major economic renewal

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for what he described as remarkable and promising strides in Benue state’s industrial sector.

He gave the commendation during an inspection tour of key agro-industrial projects in Makurdi town.

The literary icon, who was in the state on a courtesy visit, inspected ongoing work at the Food Basket Brewery and the Benval Fruit Factory, two flagship projects driving the administration’s industrialisation agenda.

Earlier, Professor Soyinka held a closed-door meeting with Governor Alia at the Presidential Wing of the Governor’s Lodge. The meeting was attended by the Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, and other senior government officials.

The delegation later visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp along Gbajimba Road.

At the camp, Soyinka expressed deep sympathy for families displaced by conflict, reiterating his personal commitment to their wellbeing. He disclosed that part of his mission was to assess the use of books he had previously donated, assuring the IDPs that “all hope is not lost.”

The entourage thereafter proceeded to the Food Basket Brewery on Gboko Road and the Benfruits Factory located within the Makurdi Industrial Layout.

Visibly impressed by the expanding industrial capacity, Prof Soyinka praised Governor Alia’s ongoing infrastructural transformation, noting that the state is “on the path to optimal growth and development.”

At the fruit-processing plant, Engr. Henry Boager, who conducted the tour, confirmed that the Benfruits Factory “has successfully completed test runs and is now ready for full-scale concentrate production.”

Speaking to reporters, Governor Alia reaffirmed his earlier directive urging orchard farmers to brace for a major harvest season, stressing that the new factories require continuous supply of oranges. He restated that by December, no oranges would be allowed to leave Benue State unprocessed, insisting all produce must add value locally.

On his part, BIPC GMD Dr. Raymond Asemakaha revealed that the company had geo-fenced and collected data on about 5,600 orchard farmers, ensuring a strong and reliable supply chain for the fruit factories.