From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Benue State Government is to construct an airport to boost investment and trade in the State.
Governor Samuel Ortom disclosed this yesterday during an interview with news men after presenting the 2020 budget estimate to the State House of Assembly.
The Governor said the project has a two completion period at a cost of over 11 billion naira, adding that it will be financed with Internally generated revenue.
He acknowledged the attempt to construct a cargo airport in the first term of his administration failed, explaining that the State Government had no financial commitment in the project.
“Benue State Government did not have any liability whatsoever. We are talking about Benue State project because we have seen that it is very critical for a state which is the Food Basket of the Nation with vast potentials in term of entire value chain. We believe with the establishment of an airport, international and national investors will come to invest.
“We have already interacted with a lot of potential investors and with the regularization of our Internally generated revenue through the Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, we believe that we can fund the airport project through the Benue Revenue Internal Generation Agency. As soon as the budget is approved, work will commence. Several banks are willing and ready to finance and support the project”, he said
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