Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has launched a 90-megawatt waste-to-energy project aimed at turning municipal and industrial waste into electricity and useful by-products.
Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication Solomon Iorpev in a statement said the bold step aims to tackle both rubbish piles and power shortages.
Located in Atumba village, Guma local government area, the initiative partners the state with a private firm Sectorlead Limited under a public-private partnership (PPP) model championed by the Governor Alia’s administration.
At the flag-off ceremony, represented by his Deputy, Sam Ode, Governor Alia hailed the plant as a game-changer.
“It will convert waste into power, alternative fuels, bio-fertilisers, methane products and recyclables, he said, delivering “long-term environmental, industrial and energy transformation”.
The project is expected to create more than 6,000 direct jobs, draw in global expertise, bolster energy reliability, cut power shortfalls, spur investment in energy-hungry industries and boost public health by curbing waste-related ills.
Governor Alia urged locals and Benue indigenes to embrace the venture, framing it as proof that his government is opening the state to business.
NewsQuest reports that the move aligns with Nigeria’s wider drive for sustainable waste solutions amid chronic urban litter and blackouts.
