Community leaders in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State have commended Engr. Abdullahi Ijala for his sustained investments in education, power supply and youth empowerment, following plans to support over 100 micro businesses and start-ups across the area.
Ijala, a philanthropist and engineer, is set to empower beneficiaries with items and support valued at over N500,000 each, in what residents described as one of the largest private-led empowerment initiatives in Agatu in recent years.
Speaking on his contributions, community representatives said the intervention builds on a series of projects facilitated by Ijala, including the distribution of 2,000 Android tablets to students in four secondary schools in Agatu and the establishment of a fully equipped ICT centre in Ogwule Ogbaulu, described as the first of its kind in Benue South.
A community representative, Hon. Samuel Odoba, said the philanthropist has also facilitated the procurement and installation of 300KVA and 500KVA transformers in Ogwule Ogbaulu Ward and Engla in Enungba Ward, as well as the installation of solar-powered streetlights across parts of Agatu and other communities in Benue South.
He added that currently, Ijala is overseeing the installation of a solar power grid valued at about N500 million to supply electricity to the entire Ogwule Ogbaulu community, a project residents say will significantly improve economic activities and quality of life in the area.
Ijala, popularly called “Oyachaba G’Ogwule” by locals, has described his interventions as modest contributions to community development, insisting that he is “only scratching the surface.”
Reacting, the Councillor representing Ogwule Ogbaulu Ward, Hon. Samuel Odoba, said the projects reflect a deep sense of responsibility to the people, noting that the interventions have surpassed those delivered by some elected representatives from the area.
Odoba expressed appreciation on behalf of the community and described Ijala, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, as a model of grassroots development and selfless service.
