By Abbas Nazil
Governor Hyacinth Alia announced that his administration is actively rebuilding Benue State’s economy through massive investments in agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, and industrialization while addressing historical developmental constraints.
Speaking on his development blueprint, Governor Alia revealed that the state has established a 30-year master development plan designed to maintain long-term economic growth across future political administrations.
Central to these reforms is the restoration of security and peace across the state’s local government areas in collaboration with the Federal Government, traditional institutions, and local communities.
This relative stability has enabled the voluntary return of internally displaced persons from 15 camps back to their ancestral homelands to resume farming and rebuild homes, supported by the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration, and the UNHCR.
To address critical infrastructure gaps, the state declared an emergency on road networks, constructing stone-based roads with a 30-year durability guarantee across 23 local government areas to boost connectivity and facilitate the transportation of farm produce.
The government has prioritized the agricultural value chain by distributing subsidized farm inputs, providing financial incentives to large-scale soybean farmers, and registering citrus farmers into cooperatives.
Industrial revival remains a key pillar of the economic strategy, highlighted by the reactivation of the dormant Taraku Mills to process locally grown soybeans and restore Benue’s position as a leading nationwide producer.
Additionally, the state has established three functional new facilities, including the Benue Food Basket Brewery producing Zeva Premium Lager from local sorghum, cassava, and corn, alongside dedicated juice and concentrate processing plants.
These industrial interventions have significantly boosted raw material demand, driving the market price of a bag of oranges from 3,500 Naira up to 17,500 Naira and yielding higher incomes for rural farmers.
To improve human capital, the state revamped hundreds of neglected primary schools, hired 9,700 primary school teachers, and eliminated school fees from Basic One to Basic Nine to ease financial burdens on families.
In the healthcare sector, the state upgraded the Benue State University Teaching Hospital into a regional medical tourism center equipped with a dedicated VIP wing and specialized personnel.
The administration also rehabilitated hundreds of primary healthcare centers statewide, backed by incoming medical equipment shipments procured through partnerships with the United States government.
Governor Alia attributed these developmental milestones to improved fiscal management, increased Internally Generated Revenue, and enhanced financial allocations from the Federal Government following oil subsidy removals.
The governor emphasized that a renewed, highly collaborative relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government has attracted significant Federal appointments, national security summit hosting rights, and infrastructural backing to the state.
