The Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) has commenced an audit of the assets of the Katsina-Ala Yam Flour Processing Factory as part of efforts to revive the long-abandoned facility. The audit, conducted on Saturday, is aimed at assessing the condition of the factory’s equipment and determining the steps required to restore production.
Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, CFA, expressed serious concern over the low and sub-standard quality of equipment used in assembling the factory’s machinery, stating that he doubted their functionality. Foreign technicians engaged by BIPC, who were present during the audit, further confirmed these concerns. The technicians observed that the machinery was made with low-grade metals, raising doubts about its functionality, durability and ability to meet the specifications required by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Dr Asemakaha invited the promoter of Founders Investment Limited, who purchased, supplied and installed the machinery, as well as the promoter of Bimalp West Africa Limited, who served as consultant for the Benue State Government on the project at the time, to participate in efforts to assess and address the condition of the machinery and the issues raised over the substandard equipment supply.
He noted that the revival of the plant is in line with Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s directive to resuscitate moribund industries across the three senatorial zones of Benue State. The BIPC GMD also paid five months of salary arrears owed to security personnel at the facility, following the governor’s directive. “For too long, the factory has been silent. But silence is about to end. BIPC is here to assess, to plan, and to revive,” Asemakaha said.
Stressing the importance of adding value to agricultural produce, he remarked that developed economies advance by processing raw materials into finished products rather than exporting them in their raw form. “Poor nations sell raw materials while rich nations sell finished products,” he said, adding that every dormant industrial asset represents lost opportunities and jobs for young people. The revival of the yam flour factory, he explained, would benefit farmers, create employment for youths and strengthen local value addition by processing crops produced in Benue.
Dr Asemakaha also stated that BIPC was adopting the “Cash Box Model” to drive the Benue economy, an approach focused on activating dormant assets, adding value to agricultural produce, creating jobs and generating sustainable economic activities across the state.
The Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, represented by his deputy, Hon. Christopher Chia, commended Governor Alia for taking steps to revive the company. He described the initiative as an important intervention that would contribute to economic development and create opportunities for residents of the local government and the state.
The plant’s Desk Officer, Aondoakaa Bernard, disclosed that the factory was established in 2014 but was subsequently abandoned. He said the facility currently has about 60 metric tonnes of raw materials and a finished product capacity of 20 metric tonnes. The ongoing audit is expected to provide BIPC with the technical and operational assessment required to develop a roadmap for the resuscitation of the Katsina-Ala Yam Flour Processing Factory.
