The leadership of the Benue State House of Assembly has commended the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) for driving Governor Hyacinth Alia’s industrialisation agenda.

The delegation of the assembly, led by the Majority Leader, Thomas Dugeri, gave the commendation during a tour of major BIPC facilities, which include Benfruits, Benval, the BIPC Eco-City Estate, and the Food Basket Brewery.

Mr Dugeri further commended BIPC’s management for boosting the state’s economy.

The lawmaker called for more government funding and legislative support to expand its initiatives, including reviving major assets and enacting supportive laws.

BIPC group managing director, Raymond Asemakaha, highlighted ongoing and new ventures of the company.

He listed the ventures to include bread production, water packaging, nail manufacturing, printing, electric taxis, a brewery, and juice factory projects expected to create over 1,500 jobs.

Mr Asemakaha emphasised the importance of industrialising agriculture through value addition and urged the Assembly to establish a commodity exchange to stabilise markets.

The GMD revealed plans to sanction underperforming asset leaseholders, particularly regarding Benue Hotel, and stressed the need for proper management of state assets.

He further told the assembly that efforts are underway to develop a sustainable framework and a clear succession plan for the company.

The head of business development and strategy at BIPC, Theresa Abeda, thanked the assembly for the visit and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to continued collaboration for the overall development of the state.

Both the assembly and BIPC reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate for economic growth and development in the state. 

(NAN)