The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has said the Federal Government economic reforms and improved financial support are helping the state to revive moribund industries and build a stronger local value chain around its agricultural resources.

Alia spoke on Friday in Makurdi during a media chat with journalists participating in the Presidential Media Tour of Projects in Benue State, organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.

The two-day tour provided journalists with an opportunity to inspect federal and state government projects across the state, including the Lafia Bypass and dualisation of the 9th Mile-Enugu-Otukpo-Makurdi Road, the Awajir-Oju Road, Taraku Mills and Otobi Water Works.

The governor said the Federal Government’s economic policies had increased the resources available to the state, enabling his administration to invest in infrastructure and revive industries that had been abandoned for years.

He, however, said the ultimate objective was not merely to restore factories but to ensure that Benue processed more of what it produced, created jobs locally and retained a greater share of the wealth generated from its agricultural economy.

Alia said the state’s decision to revive Taraku Mills, establish new processing facilities and strengthen existing industries was aimed at stopping the loss of economic value that occurs when raw agricultural products are taken out of the state for processing.

“If we are producing this, why are we not converting it so that we all have the rippling effect of the value chain?” he asked.

Taraku Mills, a major industrial facility in the state, had remained dormant for years before the Alia administration began its rehabilitation. The factory is now undergoing test runs, with the state government expecting production to commence fully in the coming months.

The governor said the state was also establishing and supporting other processing businesses, including the Benue Food Basket Brewery, a juice factory and a concentrate factory.

According to him, the industries are being deliberately located around the state’s agricultural strength to ensure that farmers benefit from the demand for their produce.

He cited the sharp increase in the price of oranges as evidence of the emerging market opportunities, saying a bag that sold for about N3,500 previously now commands about N17,500.

Alia said the state was registering farmers and orchard owners under cooperatives to enable them to access support, expand production and secure markets for their produce.

He also disclosed plans to establish a Benue farm market in Abuja, leveraging the improved road network between the state and the Federal Capital Territory to move fresh agricultural products directly to consumers.

The governor said the rehabilitation of Taraku Mills was particularly important because of Benue’s history as a major producer of soybeans.

He said the administration was providing farm inputs and incentives to encourage farmers to return to soybean cultivation, while the revived mill would provide a market for their output and help rebuild the value chain.

The governor linked the industrial strategy to his administration’s wider development programme, which includes road construction, education, healthcare and water infrastructure.

He said the state had declared a state of emergency on roads on assumption of office and had since worked to improve connectivity across the 23 local government areas.

Speaking earlier on the Teraku Mill, the Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) and Group Managing Director overseeing the rehabilitation of the mill, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, said the facility comprised several plants with significant processing capacities.

He said the maize plant could process 72,000 metric tonnes annually, while the animal feed plant had a capacity of 172,300 metric tonnes per year.

The oil division has a mechanical press line capable of processing 200 metric tonnes of seeds daily, a solvent extraction plant with a capacity of 320 metric tonnes daily and a refinery capable of processing 100 metric tonnes of oil per day.

Asemakaha said maintenance and test-running were ongoing and expressed confidence that products would begin coming out of the factory within two months

The media team also visited the Federal Government’s Lafia Bypass and dualisation of the 9th Mile-Enugu-Otukpo-Makurdi Road.

The 250-kilometre project, which traverses Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi and Enugu states, is being constructed as a dual carriageway, giving a total road length of 500 kilometres.

The Federal Controller of Works in Benue, Engr. Mukaila Danlandi, said the Benue section covers 178 kilometres, with about 86 kilometres of binder course completed on both sides.

He said construction was continuing despite the rainy season, with work on hydraulic structures progressing along the alignment.

The project commenced in February 2024 and is scheduled for completion in February 2028.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who inspected the road project, commended the quality of construction and noted that the work had already reduced travel time between Makurdi and Otukpo.

According to him, the improved road network would have a direct impact on commerce by making it easier to transport agricultural produce and other goods across state borders.

“It’s a road that will last very, very long,” Onanuga noted, adding that improved connectivity would boost both passenger and business traffic.

The team also inspected the 52-kilometre Awajir-Oju Road constructed by the Benue State Government and linking Gwer East, Konshisha and Oju local government areas.

The Director-General of the Bureau for Special Projects and Infrastructure in the Office of the Governor, Engr Gabriel Delian Akpen, said 19 kilometres had been completed with asphalt while earthworks had reached about 30 kilometres.

He said the project had been affected by security challenges but was expected to be completed within the next six or seven months.

The Chairman of Konshisha Local Government Area, Hon Chikyaa Moses Terfa, said the road had already revived economic activities in communities along the route, while improving access for residents and farmers.

At Otobi Water Works, the team inspected a water treatment facility originally constructed in 2012 but which had remained inactive for several years.

The Director of Urban Water Supply and Quality Control, Juliet Maka, said the facility had been rehabilitated and was now operating at its full capacity of 10,000 cubic metres per day.

She said the state government had also extended the water distribution network into Otukpo town through sub-reticulation.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement, Frederick Nwabufo, said the projects inspected during the tour provided visible evidence of the Renewed Hope agenda.

Nwabufo said the team had seen interventions across roads, education, healthcare and other sectors, adding that the projects demonstrated that government programmes were being implemented on the ground.