By Faridat Salifu
Agricultural transformation and investment attraction are taking centre stage in Benue State as the state government advances plans to establish a campus of the Benue State University of Agriculture in Buruku Local Government Area.
The development is part of a broader push by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia to reposition the state as a major agribusiness hub in Nigeria.
Speaking in Makurdi recently during an engagement with journalists, former Foreign Investments Adviser, Alex Addingi, said the planned campus would strengthen agricultural education and support innovation in food production systems.
He noted that the project is designed not only to expand academic capacity but also to deepen research and practical training in modern farming techniques.
Addingi explained that the state’s agricultural agenda is shifting towards large-scale production and value-chain development, with focus crops including palm oil, oranges, and plantains.
The aim, he said, is to boost food availability while also creating export-oriented agricultural products that can compete in regional and international markets.
He also revealed that Benue is developing a lithium battery production facility in Logo Local Government Area to support renewable energy systems for agriculture and rural communities.
According to him, the state has begun investing in human capital development, with 13 groups already trained in China in fields such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, and information technology.
The initiative, he added, reflects a strategy to link education, technology, and agriculture as drivers of economic growth.
Addingi said government policies such as tax reliefs and investment incentives are being introduced to attract private capital into agriculture and related industries.
He added that the planned Benue State International Investment Summit is expected to further open the state to foreign partnerships.
On local development, he acknowledged challenges in Buruku and outlined plans to improve education infrastructure, including equipping schools with science laboratories.
He also announced an initiative to introduce Mandarin language learning in schools to improve access to international scholarship opportunities.
In addition, he disclosed plans to train thousands of youths in digital skills and entrepreneurship as part of broader youth empowerment efforts.
Addingi reaffirmed his interest in representing Buruku in the House of Representatives, saying his focus would be on development-driven leadership.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benue, Bemdoo Ugber, commended the engagement and highlighted the donation of hybrid oil palm seedlings to journalists as a contribution to agricultural development awareness.
He also called for inclusion of media practitioners in upcoming digital training programmes to strengthen development reporting in the state.
