The federal government has said ongoing road, industrial and water infrastructure projects in Benue state are expected to boost trade, reduce transportation bottlenecks, revive industrial production and create thousands of jobs.
This was made this known Friday during an inspection of federal and state infrastructure projects in the state by the Presidential Communications Team and the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) as part of a nationwide media tour.
The team inspected Section One of the Lafia Bypass and the dualisation of the Makurdi-Ninth Mile Road, among other projects.
Speaking during the inspection, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the ongoing dualisation of the Makurdi-Otukpo-Enugu Road was already easing the movement of people and goods across state borders.
He said the project had reduced travel time between Makurdi and Otukpo from about three hours to roughly 90 minutes, despite the road still being under construction.
“The road is impressive on its own, and if you are able to link all parts of Nigeria, it shows you that we are improving connectivity across our states, and of course, it will boost not just passenger traffic but also business traffic, to be able to move goods across all the state borders,” Onanuga said.
He added that the quality of the road was impressive and expressed optimism that it would be durable when completed.
“Before, the road was so bad that from Makurdi to Otukpo it used to take about three hours, but now just about one and a half hours or so,” he said.
Onanuga said the project was part of the administration’s broader infrastructure drive across the country.
He said, “This is a commendable project, and I think President Tinubu deserves a lot of applause for touching almost every part of Nigeria, giving them one road or bridge or any infrastructure or the other.”
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement, Frederick Nwabufo, said the inspection demonstrated what he described as the visible impact of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We are here in Benue State. This is the third day, and particularly in reference to a particular sojourner who said there are no signs of renewed hope anywhere, we can see the roads, in health, in education, across all sectors,” he said.
Nwabufo said the projects were being inspected without prior notice as part of efforts to assess their actual state on the ground.
He added that the government would continue with the Renewed Hope programme as the administration seeks re-election in 2027.
Federal Controller of Works in Benue State, Mukaila Danladi, said the Makurdi-Ninth Mile Road project covers 250 kilometres and becomes 500 kilometres as a dual carriageway.
According to him, the road traverses Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi and Enugu states and divided into five sections to facilitate construction.
Danladi said 86 kilometres had been completed to binder-course level on Section One, although the pace of work had been affected by the rainy season.
He said the overall project commenced on February 1, 2024, and is scheduled for completion on February 1, 2028.
On Section Two, covering the Aliade-Otukpo axis, Danladi disclosed that the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, had ordered a redesign of the road shoulder from surface-dressed to hard shoulder after early erosion was observed on the completed portion of Section One.
He said the minister had also directed the contractors to accelerate work on the section.
Consequently, completion of Section Two is now expected by December 2027, ahead of the original January 2028 deadline.
The inspection also covered the ongoing rehabilitation of the Oju-Awaji Road, a 52-kilometre road linking Oju, Konshisha and Gwer East local government areas.
The project was originally concluded during the administration of the late Governor Aper Aku in 1982 but subsequently deteriorated.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Special Projects and Infrastructure in the Benue State Governor’s Office, Gabriel Akpen, said the road had fallen into total disrepair before the intervention of the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
He said 19 kilometres had been completed with asphalt, while earthworks had been carried out on about 30 kilometres.
“The initial contract period was 12 months, but security challenges forced an extension,” Akpen said.
He expressed optimism that the entire 52-kilometre stretch would be completed within the next six or seven months.
At Taraku Mills, the government highlighted the revival of a major industrial facility that had remained dormant for decades.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Kula Tersoo, said the factory was worth more than N70 billion and was established during the Aper Aku administration.
He said production stopped and the factory became comatose from the mid-1990s until the current administration began efforts to revive it. “Now, the machines are undergoing test runs,” Tersoo said.
Plant Manager, James Twenge, said the facility was being prepared for full production during the 2026 harvest season and would create more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.
“We have over 2,000 workers, direct and indirect. The maize plant has the capacity to process 72,000 metric tonnes of maize per annum,” Twenge said.
He said the feed mill has the capacity to process 172,300 metric tonnes of animal feed annually adding that products could begin coming out of the factory within two months.
The revival is expected to strengthen agricultural value chains in the state by providing an industrial outlet for maize production while creating employment and stimulating related commercial activities.
At the rehabilitated Otobi Waterworks, the government said the facility was now operating at full capacity and supplying water to Otukpo town and surrounding communities.
The Director of Urban Water Supply and Quality Control, Juliet Maka, said the waterworks was rehabilitated in September 2025 after remaining largely unused for several years.
She explained that the water scheme was originally built in 2012, after which another contract was awarded for its operation and maintenance.
However, disagreements arose during the implementation of the maintenance contract, leaving the project untouched for several years.
Maka said the government subsequently recalled the company previously awarded the operation and maintenance contract, and re-awarded another contract for the rehabilitation of the waterworks, adding that rehabilitation had now been completed.
“Otobi community is benefiting from this project right now, even Otukpo town which is a big town is not left behind, the system capacity here is 10,000 cubic meters per day. We are operating at full capacity,” she said.