Taraku Mills: First plant to test run in 35 days as rehabilitation continues

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

Foreign expatriates and technical experts engaged by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) have intensified rehabilitation work at the Taraku Mills, with plans to power and test-run the facility’s first production plant within the next 30 to 35 days.

The Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, disclosed this when he led the engineers and management team on an inspection of the ongoing restoration project.

Asemakaha said significant progress has been made in efforts to revive the once-thriving agro-industrial complex, which has remained inactive since 2013.

He explained that the expatriates and technicians were brought in to undertake critical maintenance and technical restoration works needed to return the factory to full production.

He noted that when operational, the mill will process soybeans, maize, beniseed and cassava into various products, including edible oil, animal feed, industrial raw materials and beer grit for use by the Food Basket Brewery.

The BIPC boss called on farmers across Benue State to expand soybean cultivation in anticipation of increased demand for raw materials once production begins.

 He added that the revival of Taraku Mills is part of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s broader industrialization agenda aimed at restoring moribund industries, creating jobs and boosting economic growth in the state.

Representing the expatriate team, Adilson Neres Da Silva and Henry Boager expressed confidence in the project’s success, noting that most of the factory’s equipment remained intact despite years of inactivity.

According to them, assessments carried out on the plant revealed that the machinery, programmable logic systems, power and water plants, as well as software reactivation components, are largely in good condition.

The district head of Mbaweghgba, Chief John Igbabul, lauded Governor Alia’s commitment to reviving the factory, describing the project as a major step towards job creation and economic revitalization in the area.