BIPC finds substandard equipment, begins plans to revive Katsina-Ala plant
By Queen Kunde
The Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) has begun an audit of the Katsina-Ala Yam Flour Processing Factory as part of moves to revive the abandoned facility.
During the inspection on Saturday, BIPC Group Managing Director, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, expressed serious concern over the quality of equipment installed at the factory, saying he doubted whether some of the machines could function properly.
Foreign technicians engaged by BIPC also inspected the plant and raised similar concerns. They said much of the machinery appeared to have been made from low-grade metals, questioning its durability, performance and ability to meet the standards required by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Asemakaha called on the promoter of Founders Investment Limited, which purchased, supplied and installed the machinery, as well as the promoter of Bimalp West Africa Limited, the consultant to the Benue State Government on the project at the time, to join efforts to assess the equipment and address the concerns raised.
He said the audit would help BIPC determine what is needed to bring the factory back into production.
The revival is part of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s directive to resuscitate abandoned industries across Benue’s three senatorial districts.
“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.
As part of the intervention, BIPC also paid five months of salary arrears owed to security personnel at the facility.
Asemakaha said reviving the yam flour factory would help farmers, create jobs for young people and promote the processing of Benue’s agricultural produce within the state.
He stressed that economies grow by turning raw materials into finished products rather than selling them in their raw form.
“Poor nations sell raw materials while rich nations sell finished products,” he said, adding that every abandoned industrial asset represents lost jobs and economic opportunities.
The BIPC boss said the company was adopting its “Cash Box Model Economic” approach, which focuses on activating dormant assets, adding value to farm produce, creating jobs and generating sustainable economic activity.
The Deputy Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Hon. Christopher Chia, who represented the chairman, commended Governor Alia for the move.
Chia described the intervention as a major step that could boost economic activity and create opportunities for residents.
The factory’s Desk Officer, Aondoakaa Bernard, said the plant was established in 2014 but was later abandoned. He disclosed that the facility has a raw material capacity of about 60 metric tonnes and a finished-product capacity of 20 metric tonnes.
BIPC said the ongoing audit would provide the technical and operational information needed to draw up a clear roadmap for the revival of the Katsina-Ala Yam Flour Processing Factory.
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