Governor Hyacinth Alia has completed the construction of 25 township roads in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, within the first two years of his administration, according to his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula.
Kula disclosed this on Wednesday while leading journalists on an inspection tour of projects executed by the Alia administration in the state capital.
He explained that the governor awarded contracts for 41 township roads in Makurdi, out of which 25 have already been completed, while work continues on the others. Across Benue, he added, over 390 kilometres of roads are currently under construction.
Highlighting major infrastructure projects, Kula said the underpass bridge at the High Level area of Makurdi has reached 90 per cent completion. He also pointed to extensive erosion control works, including a multi-million-dollar project at Idye and a similar intervention in Wurukum, both aimed at tackling perennial flooding in the capital.
“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 noted. “He later flagged off another 25 township roads, of which some are completed while others are still ongoing. In all, 25 township roads are completed.”
Beyond road projects, Kula announced the completion of the multi-billion-naira Benue Food Basket Brewery, which will produce the state’s newly introduced beer brand, Zeva. He said equipment installation was underway, while production is expected to commence in November.
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At the Benfruit and Benval Juice Factories, he revealed that efforts were ongoing to revive the previously moribund industries.
The governor’s spokesperson also disclosed that the underpass bridge in Gboko was nearing completion, with ongoing projects spread across all local government areas.
He further stated that 98 primary healthcare centres across the state were being renovated, alongside the massive renovation and reconstruction of public schools.
Emmanuel Adoje, plant manager of Benue Food Basket Brewery Limited, confirmed that installation of factory equipment began on August 17 and would take a few months to complete. According to him, the facility has the capacity to produce 2,500 crates of beer daily and can manufacture different categories of beer products.
The journalists were taken around completed and ongoing projects, including township roads, erosion control sites, the underpass bridge, and the juice factories.