The Benue State Government has highlighted significant progress in infrastructure and industrial projects across the state, with several township roads, bridges, erosion control works, and factories nearing completion.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, disclosed this on Wednesday during an inspection tour of completed and ongoing projects executed by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia in Makurdi, the state capital.
Kula revealed that out of the 41 township road contracts awarded in Makurdi, 25 have already been completed, while work continues on the remaining. He added that more than 390 kilometres of road projects are currently underway across the state.
He further noted that the underpass bridge at the High Level area of Makurdi, a flagship project of the administration, has reached 90 per cent completion. In addition, major erosion control works are ongoing at Idye and Wurukum, both multi-million-naira interventions aimed at tackling perennial flooding in the capital city.
“Remember that when the governor assumed office in 2023, he first flagged off the construction of 16 Makurdi urban roads; those roads are now completed,” Kula said. “He later flagged off another 25 township roads, of which some are completed while others are ongoing. In all, 25 township roads are completed.”
Beyond roads and bridges, the government is also pushing industrial growth. Kula announced that the multi-billion-naira Benue Food Basket Brewery has been completed and is currently installing equipment, with production of the state’s newly introduced beer brand, Zeva, scheduled to begin in November.
Similarly, efforts are ongoing to revive the Benfruit and Benval Juice Factories, which had been moribund for years.
Confirming progress at the brewery, Emmanuel Adoje, Plant Manager of Benue Food Basket Brewery Limited, said installation of factory equipment commenced on August 17 and would take several months to complete. He disclosed that the facility has the capacity to produce 2,500 crates of beer daily and can manufacture various categories of beer products.
Kula also revealed that the underpass bridge in Gboko was at an advanced stage, while other projects were ongoing across all 23 local government areas.
In the health sector, he disclosed that 98 primary healthcare centres across the state are undergoing renovation, in addition to the massive rehabilitation and reconstruction of public schools.
The inspection team, which comprised journalists and government officials, was taken around completed and ongoing projects, including township roads, erosion control sites, underpass bridges, and the juice factories, underscoring what the Alia administration describes as its commitment to delivering critical infrastructure and revitalizing the state’s economy.
