Benue free trade zone builds 2,000 houses

The Benue State Free Trade Zone project has concluded plans to construct 2,000 housing units.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Golden Shaik Limited, Dr. Samuel Adzongo, said at a press conference in Makurdi that his organisation in collaboration with the Benue State Government and others would soon draw the already approved money for the construction of the housing units.

“The Benue Free Trade zone is set up under a PublicPrivate-Partnership (PPP) arrangement between the state government, Golden Shaik Limited/Bonnie Delta Communication Limited and their foreign partners. Already the project funders have approved the first tranche of $100 million for preliminary expenses, including construction of 2,000 housing units to address the housing need of the project,” he said.

Adzongo explained that the development objective of the project was to establish a free trade zone with an international industrial park to include multi-function manufacturing companies, commerce and trade as well as a modern city with standard facilities.

He said the idea was to diversify the economy of the state to enhance economic competitiveness, and create massive employment. He said the state government had provided 1000 hectares of land at KM 18 along MakurdiLafia road for immediate take-off of the project, and expressed optimism that the project, expected to fully become operational in five years’ time, would attract huge foreign investments.