Soyinka Hails Alia As Benue’s Industrial Revolution Gains Global Praise

According to Ireporter Online, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has commended Benue State Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia for what he described as remarkable progress in the state’s industrial sector. Soyinka gave the commendation during an assessment tour of key projects undertaken by the current administration in Makurdi.

The literary icon inspected major agro-industrial facilities including the Food Basket Brewery and the Benval Fruit Factory, two cornerstone projects driving the state’s expanding agricultural value chain. Before the tour, Soyinka held a closed-door meeting with Governor Alia at the Presidential Wing of the Governor’s Lodge, attended by the Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, and other senior officials.

Soyinka and the delegation also visited an Internally Displaced Persons camp along Gbajimba Road, where he expressed sympathy for the displaced families. He noted that part of his mission was to evaluate the usage of books he had previously donated, assuring the residents that there is still hope for their recovery and stability.

The inspection team later continued to the Food Basket Brewery on Gboko Road and the Benfruits Factory at the Makurdi Industrial Layout. Soyinka applauded the administration’s infrastructural initiatives, particularly the ongoing road and underpass developments, saying the state appeared to be firmly positioned for sustainable growth and advancement.

During the visit to the Benval Fruit Factory, both Soyinka and Governor Alia expressed satisfaction with the facility’s increasing production capacity. The tour guide, Henry Boager, confirmed that the plant had completed its test runs and was now fully prepared to begin concentrate production.

Addressing journalists, Governor Alia re-emphasized his directive that orchard farmers should gear up for an intensive harvest season, stressing that the new processing plants require consistent supplies of oranges. He reiterated his policy that by December, no oranges will be transported out of Benue State unprocessed, insisting that all produce must be refined locally to boost value addition.

Dr. Asemakaha disclosed that BIPC had successfully mapped and collected data on about 5,600 orchard farmers using geo-fencing technology to ensure an efficient and reliable supply chain for the fruit-processing facilities.

Prof. Soyinka’s visit was widely seen as a strong endorsement of Benue State’s industrialization drive and a major boost to the growing reputation of the state as a rising agro-industrial hub.