Taraku Mills, once largely abandoned and dormant since around 2013, is set to return to full-scale production, with the facility now at 75 per cent ready, the Egyptian technical partner of Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC), Al Wadi Al Akhdar, has said.


The Egyptian partner gave the assessment Tuesday after an inspection of the N70 billion facility in Benue state.


A team of engineers, led by Saleh Mansury, inspected the factory’s major sections, including its equipment, operational processes and production systems, alongside BIPC officials.
Mansury said only 25 per cent of the work remained and they are  mainly minor upgrades to the boiler and solvent machine aimed at improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
He said the company was prepared to commence full-scale production once the upgrades were completed, while additional production lines, including cake production, were also being planned.
Mansury urged farmers in Benue to increase the cultivation of soybeans, groundnuts and maize, which he identified as key raw materials required by the factory.
Engineer James Emmanuel also described the facility as being in good condition and capable of operating effectively after the necessary upgrades.
Taraku Mills, established during the administration of the late Governor Aper Aku, suffered years of mismanagement, corruption, lease terminations and inconsistent operations before the state government, through BIPC, embarked on its revitalisation to restore the agro-industrial facility to full production.