Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has hailed Benue State Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia for significant breakthroughs in the state’s industrial development.
The global literary icon spoke after an inspection of major projects of the Alia administration in Makurdi, the state capital.
During his visit, Prof. Soyinka toured flagship initiatives of the Alia administration, including the Food Basket Brewery and the Benval Fruit Factory, both central to the state’s expanding agro-industrial landscape.
Before the inspection, the literary icon held a closed-door meeting with the governor at the Presidential Wing of the Governor’s Lodge, with the Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, and other top officials in attendance.
The delegation also visited an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp on the Gbajimba Road, where Soyinka sympathized with displaced families and reaffirmed his commitment to their welfare.
He said part of his mission was to assess the use of books he previously donated, assuring the IDPs that ‘all hope is not lost’.
The tour continued at the Food Basket Brewery on Gboko Road and the Benfruits Factory at the Industrial Layout in Makurdi.
Prof. Soyinka applauded Governor Alia’s infrastructural drive – especially ongoing road and underpass projects – expressing confidence that Benue State is ‘on the path to optimal growth and development’.
At the Benval Fruit Factory, both Soyinka and the governor were impressed by the facility’s expanding capacity.
Henry Boager, who conducted the tour, confirmed that the factory had completed its test runs and was fully ready for concentrate production.
Addressing reporters, Alia reiterated his directive for orchard farmers to prepare for a strong harvest season, stressing that the new factories require a steady supply of oranges.
The governor restated his policy that ‘by December, no oranges will leave Benue State,’ emphasizing that all produce should be processed locally.
Asemakaha announced that BIPC had mapped and collected data on about 5,600 orchard farmers through geo-fencing, ensuring a dependable supply chain for the fruit-processing factories.
Prof. Soyinka’s visit signalled a strong endorsement of the state’s industrialisation efforts, further boosting the profile of Benue State’s growing agro-industrial hub.