By Austin Angwe, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia has restated commitment of his administration to repositioning the state to make it an economic powerhouse leveraging on the vast resources with the unwavering determination of citizens despite inheriting a landscape littered with moribund industries.
The governor who made the commitment while speaking at the first- ever made in Benue products exhibition held Wednesday at the IBB square Makurdi, described the event as great milestone in the state journey towards economic rejuvenation, self- sufficiency and industrial growth, stressing that the occasion is to celebrate the ingenuity, resilience and industriousness of the people.
Governor Alia revealed that industrialization remains the third agenda of his administration’s blueprint, but lamented that the once thriving factories and businesses have become moribund as a result of many years of neglect, policy inconsistencies and infrastructural decay.
He pointed out that his administration saw the need for urgent revival through the ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to breathe life back into the moribund industries as well as establish new ones.
He said the ultimate goal of his administration is not merely revamping existing structures but also to lay foundation for sustainable industrial growth that will stand the test of time, pointing out that government has commenced the journey with the empowerment of Benue Investment and Property Company, BIPC, which has taken the lead in setting up mini- industries that are currently producing essential items needed by the people.
He noted that the efforts were also aimed towards harnessing local resources, creating jobs and reducing dependence on external markets for goods that could be produced by the people locally.
The governor also disclosed that in pursuance to making the state an economic power house Government in collaboration with the World Bank introduced the Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, NG- Cares which has provided direct support to over 5000 small and medium enterprises SMEs across the state, adding that the intervention has helped businesses recover from the economic setbacks, improve productivity and contributed meaningfully to the state economy.
He said his administration has partnered the federal government to establish Benue Fashion Hub a center for training and empowering youths in tailoring, fashion design and other entrepreneurial ventures to make the young people, acquire skills that makes them self-reliant competitive and valuable contributors to the industrial mission of the state, expressing optimism that the exhibition would expose products of Benue with local raw materials to public glare, which will in turn encourage the producers and expose them to sponsors, investors and the larger markets.