Egyptian engineers from Al Wadi Al Akhdar Oil Mills assess Benue's long-dormant Taraku Mills factory as 75% ready for production, urging farmers to boost soybean, groundnut, and maize cultivation.
Gwer East, Benue State — August 27, 2026
The Benue State Government has begun the process of reviving the moribund Taraku Mills factory, partnering with Egyptian engineers to assess and prepare the facility for a return to full-scale production after roughly 13 years of dormancy.
The initiative is being led by the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) under its Managing Director, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, in collaboration with a team of engineers from Al Wadi Al Akhdar Oil Mills, based in Asher, Cairo, headed by Saleh Mansury.
During an on-site inspection of the facility in Gwer East LGA on Monday, Mansury assessed Taraku Mills' current readiness for full-scale production at approximately 75 percent, identifying the boiler and solvent machine as the key remaining areas requiring upgrades to bring operations in line with modern technology and improve energy efficiency.
Engr. James Emmanuel, who also took part in the inspection, corroborated the assessment, describing the factory as being in good condition and capable of effective operation once the identified upgrades are completed.
Mansury used the inspection to appeal directly to Benue farmers to intensify cultivation of soybeans, groundnuts, and maize, describing the crops as essential raw materials for the factory's operations.
He indicated that plans are also underway to introduce additional production lines at the facility, particularly for cake production, once the plant resumes operations.
Taraku Mills has remained largely abandoned since around 2013. Its planned revival adds to Benue's broader efforts to rebuild economic infrastructure even as the state continues to grapple with significant security challenges across several local government areas, efforts that officials hope can eventually provide farmers with a reliable market for crops grown on land increasingly threatened by insecurity and displacement.
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