Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to revitalising struggling industries in the state.
The governor made this statement on Friday during an inspection of abandoned industrial assets in the Benue South Senatorial District.
Represented by his deputy, Sam Ode, Governor Alia explained that the inspection aligns with his directive to assess these neglected industries in Benue South with the goal of restoring them to full operation.
He said, “Our visit here today is part of Governor Alia’s administration’s commitment to revitalising moribund industries as a strategy for stimulating economic growth and improving the livelihoods of our people.
The Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, in his speech, identified policy inconsistency, lack of continuity in government programmes and poor infrastructure among others as the major factors responsible for the collapse of industries across the country.
He said the company has continued its audit of moribund industries across the state, adding that the exercise forms part of the company’s Root Cause Analysis aimed at identifying and resolving the factors responsible for the collapse of industries in the state.
He noted that despite the state’s population increasing from about 2.5 million during the administration of the late Governor Aper Aku to over 7 million today, industrial productivity has declined significantly.
Dr. Asemakaha recalled that the state once boasted thriving industries such as; Benue Brewery, Taraku Mills, Benro Packaging, Lobi Bank and fertiliser plants, Benue Bottling Company Limited, Flour Mills, Makurdi, Benue Cement, Lobi Bank, Modern Market, Ber-Agbum Fish Farm, Zaki Biam Yam Flour, Makurdi Sheraton Hotels, Ikyogen Cattle Ranch and nearly all had gone moribund.
Asemakaha said the present administration is determined to reverse the trend through the audit and revitalisation of abandoned industries, revival of the Aku industrial model, development of industrial clusters, aggressive investment promotion, value-chain development and human capital investment.
He said, “For every dormant industry, jobs are taken away. Our methodology is simple—revive industries, create jobs, reduce overdependence on government, diversify the economy and add value to our agricultural produce.
“We pledge to build a resilient and sustainable economy by ushering in a resilient private sector driven with manufacturing, positioned as a major catalyst for industrial growth, job creation, economic diversification and sustainability.
The restored Igumale Cement factory, according to the director of Industry in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and Desk Officer for the project, Mrs. Mbamilin Yandev, said that the Benue State Government and the Chinese company commenced the installation of the Igumale Cement Factory in 2001.
She added that both parties secured an 80-million-dollar facility from the Chinese Government under a seven-year Build, Operate and Transfer arrangement.