I visited Makurdi, the Benue State capital, recently and witnessed what I have come to describe as a thriving “bread economy.”
It is a simple phrase, but it captures something profound about livelihoods, governance and how food security shapes social stability.
Across the world, bread is a staple. Anything that affects bread prices almost always affects the people directly. For many families, bread is not just another food item; it is a survival necessity, especially in poorer neighbourhoods where alternatives are increasingly out of reach.
History is replete with examples of societies that were pushed to the brink by disruptions in the price and or availability of bread.
There are recorded instances of cities and even entire countries being rocked by protests following hikes in bread prices. In 2018, Sudan was gripped by nationwide protests that lasted for about a week after a steep increase in the price of bread. The demonstrations eventually became a broader political movement, with protesters demanding that long-time President Omar al-Bashir step down.
In Iran, sometime in 2025, the regime increased prices for various types of bread by between 31 and 52 per cent, triggering public outrage. In Morocco, back in 2007, the government was forced to withdraw a 30 per cent hike in bread prices after violent protests left at least 50 people injured. Similarly, in Mozambique in 2010, the government reversed a 40 per cent increase in the price of bread after violent protests claimed 13 lives.
Nigeria is not exempt from this pattern; citizens have, at different times, protested hikes in the price of bread across various parts of the country.
Against this global and local backdrop, what I saw in Makurdi was striking and, frankly, impressive.
From the Modern Market Junction on Ankpa Quarters Road to the Low-Cost Housing Estate, a stretch of about 2.5 kilometres, there are no fewer than 30 women and men selling bread. Nearly every household along that route appears to have at least one person involved in the trade.
Bread selling is not peripheral activity here. It is a visible, organised and widely shared means of livelihood.
When the administration of Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia came on board in 2023, one of its early decisions was to venture into large-scale bread production. Coming at a time when there was high inflation in the country with food prices on a steady increase, the primary objective was price control, ensuring that bread remained affordable.
But beyond that, the initiative was deliberately designed to create employment opportunities for the state’s teeming unemployed youth and women.
At government-owned bread factories located in parts of Makurdi, traders buy loaves in bulk and add modest mark-ups for retail. Many of them reportedly make about N5,000 daily in profit.
Taken together, this has created a vast bread-based value chain, one that sustains households, circulates income locally and anchors economic activity at the grassroots.
Several women involved in the trade told stories of quiet transformation: the ability to send their children to school, to contribute meaningfully to household expenses and to enjoy a sense of financial independence that had previously been elusive.
And more families are still able to get a loaf of bread for breakfast because the government’s involvement keeps the price affordable.
These are not abstract economic statistics; they are lived realities.
The Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Raymond Asemakaha, told a team of senior media professionals who visited the state recently that BIPC, through its various subsidiaries, including the bakery, has created over 2,000 direct and indirect jobs. That figure alone underscores the scale of impact.
Beyond bread, the Benue State Government has also invested heavily in its brewery and juice factories, both designed to leverage the state’s abundant agricultural raw materials.
Asemakaha explained that the brewery, which produces Zeva Beer, utilises up to 75 per cent locally sourced raw materials—an important intervention in reducing dependence on imports. The company also has a backward integration arrangement to ensure steady availability of raw materials.
The beverage industry in Nigeria is huge and Benue is positioning itself to get its share of revenue from the industry, Asemakaha stated.
The juice factory, with an installed capacity of 62,000 litres per hour, is set to commence full production in February 2026 following a successful test run. It is projected to employ about 300 people directly. The company has already registered orange farmers with large orchards and begun geotagging their farms ahead of production. When operational, the factory will produce orange, pineapple and tomato juice, significantly reducing the high post-harvest losses that currently plague farmers in the state.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Chief Bayo Onanuga, who led the media delegation, including Eze Anaba, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and Editor of Vanguard; Azu Ishiekwene, Senior Vice President of Leadership Newspaper; and Danlami Nmodu, President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), among others, expressed satisfaction with the governor’s focus on human capital development.
He described the projects as laudable and innovative, noting that they represent a clear break from the norm.
“A lot has been done that isn’t in the media, and we’re impressed with what we’ve seen,” Onanuga said.
He recalled an era when state governments routinely built factories that created jobs, lamenting that such initiatives had largely disappeared over the years.
According to him, the Alia administration has revived that tradition by building a robust value chain through its investments.
“Your administration is more concerned about people-targeted projects, not grandiose ones. Development should be about the people. A governor who is with the people cannot be defeated,” he added.
Other projects visited by the team included the university teaching hospital, where newly acquired radiology equipment was inspected, and a therapeutic centre for children with special needs. The delegation also toured a model public school—NKST Primary School, Iyortyer—where modern classrooms have been constructed, as well as several road infrastructure projects, including the High Level Underpass and Ishaya Bakut Road.
At a town hall meeting organised to round off the visit, labour leaders praised the governor for the industrial harmony currently enjoyed in the state, attributing it to his attention to workers’ welfare.
In his remarks, Governor Alia said his vision was to run businesses from which the people of Benue would be direct beneficiaries. He noted that such ventures would prevent capital flight while generating revenue for the state.
He also expressed the government’s willingness to partner with private investors through Public-Private Partnerships to ensure sustainability.
In Makurdi, bread is more than food. It is policy, livelihood and quiet proof that when governance meets everyday needs, stability follows.
