A presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tein Jack-Rich, has pledged to harness the potential of River Benue, industrialise and create over 450,000 direct jobs in Benue, if elected as president of Nigeria.

Mr Jack-Rich, a renowned industrialist, made the promise when he received a delegation of founding leaders of the APC in Benue led by Jack Tilley-Gyado at his campaign office in Abuja.

The aspirant identified River Benue in Makurdi as a strategic economic hotspot with untapped economic potential.

Mr Jack-Rich said he planned to canalise River Benue and harness its full economic potential to industrialise Benue and the Middle Belt.

He said the move would create over 450,000 direct jobs in Benue with its multiplier effect on the household economy.

“I have identified key economic hotspots within the confluence in Makurdi where we can build a strategic seaport. We will clear the waterways, expand and dredge the canals to allow for easy sail and berth of vessels with goods and services in and out of the Benue waterways. We will also have a shipyard at the Benue seaport,” the APC presidential hopeful explained. “When we do this it would create over 450,000 direct jobs. Marine transportation will also thrive in the state when this happens. We will industrialise the agricultural sector of Benue state leveraging the economic potential of River Benue.”

He also mentioned that part of his vision was to deploy not less than 5,000 equipment to Benue with each engaging no fewer than 90 persons, especially youths, into the economic value chain of the state.

Mr Jack-Rich also promised to set aside five per cent of the country’s oil revenue as a stimulus package to be managed by community development banks, for the socio-economic development of local communities and well-being of the masses.

Mr Jack-Rich said he would ensure that there was a proper ecosystem within the traditional value system comprising district heads, chiefs, traditional rulers and local authorities to administer the proceeds.

(NAN)