By Nicholas Dechi
Across Africa, food-linked initiatives have proven that they can do more than fill stomachs; they can transform lives.
In Osun, for instance, the O’Meal school feeding programme not only provided daily meals for pupils but also created jobs for local farmers and caterers.
Similarly, in Kano, small-scale rice mills have provided employment for youths and women.
Likewise, Rwanda’s “One Cup of Milk per Child” initiative boosted smallholder dairy farmers.
Ethiopia, too, has demonstrated how cooperative bakeries in Addis Ababa can become lifelines for affordable food and steady wages.
In Benue, Nigeria’s “Food Basket of the Nation,” a similar story is now unfolding through what residents fondly call “Alia Bread”.
On George Akume Way and other busy streets of Makurdi, the familiar chorus fills the air: “Come and buy Alia bread. Fresh bread, sweet bread.”
For many, the call is no longer just about food.
Instead, it has become a symbol of survival, dignity, and empowerment.
Nicknamed “Alia Bread” after Governor Hyacinth Alia, the product is officially produced by the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC).
Yet, the name has stuck, reflecting how strongly residents identify the initiative with their governor.
Before the bakery was established, analysts note that many women and youths in Makurdi lived with little or no income opportunities.
Today, however, they stand along major roads and in markets such as Wurukum, High Level, Wadata, and the Modern Market, hawking or retailing loaves with pride.
Some sellers move only a few loaves each day, while others sell as many as 20, depending on their location and the level of demand.
With each loaf priced between N1,200 and N1,500, residents consider it good value for its size and taste.
More importantly, each transaction goes beyond feeding people; it sustains livelihoods.
An example is Mrs Blessing Tersoo, a mother of three, who once relied entirely on her husband.
“Now I sell bread and buy food myself. My children don’t go to bed hungry anymore”, she says.
For Mrs Martha Ungwaga, the difference is education.
“From the little I make, I have paid my daughter’s school fees and bought her books”, she explains.
Women who once depended on relatives now speak of self-reliance, savings, and respect in their households.
Some even describe themselves as “providers”, a shift that redefines traditional gender roles in many Benue homes.
The ripple effects extend beyond households.
Shop owners confirm increased sales of butter, milk, sardines, and beverages because bread buyers often add other items.
“People come to buy bread and also pick sugar and milk,” says provision store owner, Mama Felicia Gbanger.
Transporters are benefiting as well, ferrying loaves to and from distribution points, while petty traders earn daily profit margins, however small.
Economists point out that this is a classic example of how small industries can stimulate micro-economies.
Dr Iorwuese Tar, a development economist in Makurdi, explains: “The bread is not just feeding families; it is creating a chain of economic activity.
“From production to retail, it shows how a single state-backed initiative can spread benefits widely.
“If expanded to other agro-products like rice, cassava, or dairy, the effect could be transformative”.
Teenagers, too, are part of the story.
After school, many hawk bread to support their families or education.
Fourteen-year-old Joseph Tyovenda says, “I use my profit to help my parents”.
Meanwhile, for 17-year-old Blessing Kwaghdoo, each loaf sold brings her closer to paying her exam fees.
“I want to be a nurse. Selling bread is helping me save for my future,” she explains.
Such testimonies underline how informal youth employment, when channelled properly, can reduce idleness, dependence, and poverty.
Observers argue that the success of “Alia Bread” offers broader lessons for state-led industrialisation in Nigeria.
It aligns with the Federal Government’s food security drive and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Zero Hunger, Gender Equality, and Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Benue, often celebrated as the “Food Basket of the Nation”, is showing that adding value to agricultural produce can create jobs and reduce poverty when properly managed.
Nevertheless, questions remain about sustainability.
Can production keep up with growing demand? How will the bakery scale distribution beyond Makurdi?
And can this model be extended to other sectors such as rice milling, cassava processing, and fruit juice production to fully maximise Benue’s agricultural advantage?
There are also concerns about ensuring quality control, fair pricing, and access to credit facilities for petty traders eager to expand their bread businesses.
For now, however, residents testify that the bread has changed their daily lives.
Husbands of sellers admit the difference it makes.
“It’s no longer a one-sided struggle to feed the family,” says Mr Tersoo Igber, a commercial motorcyclist.
“My wife’s bread sales bridge the gaps when I don’t earn enough”.
At High Level Market, women voice gratitude almost in chorus: “This bread has saved us. God bless Governor Alia.
“We want more industries like this so our youths and women can work”.
News Agency of Nigeria
