Ortom Provides 500KVA Transformer to CEFTER, Pledges More Support

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has promised that his administration would provide adequate support for the Centre for Food Technology and Research of the Benue State University, Makurdi.

The governor made the promise on Wednesday June 2, 2020, during his visit to the centre.

Ortom pledged the commitment and support of his administration to help the centre achieve excellence.

He also praised the World Bank for providing opportunities for Benue people, other Nigerians and the entire African continent through the facility.

While expressing hope that the centre would help Nigeria and the African Continent in the area of research into food science, the Governor stated that it was his utmost desire to turn the abundant natural resources in the state into wealth.

Ortom described BSU as an industry that must be sustained – underscoring his unwavering attention to it.

He therefore urged the leadership of the university to sustain its support for CEFTER and work hard to attract another centre of such importance to the state in a different discipline to blend theories with practical.

The governor directed the Commissioner for Rural Development and Cooperatives to provide a 500KVA transformer to CEFTER and also provide water for the centre, giving assurance that other challenges would also be looked into.

BSU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Msugh Kembe said CEFTER had attracted another World Bank grant of $5million.

He thanked Ortom for support and appealed for intervention to renovate 100-bed hostel for students, provide a bigger water reservoir and transformer, and furnish two of the centre’s laboratories.

Dr. Barnabas Ikyo, leader of the Project Technical Team, said CEFTER had received international accreditation due to its exceptional performance and was the second out of 19 centres to score 100 percent back-to-back rating.