The Benue State government has reaffirmed its commitment to attracting strategic investments into the state’s agricultural sector, hosting a high-level engagement with NOVA Global Ltd from Hefei City, Anhui Province, China.
The meeting, held at Government House, Makurdi, had the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Barr. Sam Ode, representing Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Speaking during the engagement, Barr. Ode said the Alia administration had deliberately assembled a team of competent technocrats across key sectors to position the state as a viable destination for investment.
According to him, the government’s vision is to rewrite the economic history of the state and firmly place Benue on the map as a leading investment hub in Nigeria.
He noted that agriculture remains a core pillar of the administration’s development agenda, emphasizing the government’s intention to strengthen the entire agricultural value chain, from farm production to finished products for export, to boost foreign exchange earnings and improve citizens’ wellbeing.
The Deputy Governor stressed that the state seeks partnerships built on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, rather than mere ceremonial agreements.
“We want partnerships that are concrete and measurable, with clear milestones and timelines. Our focus is on the complete value chain from the farm gates to finished products for export,” he said.
He further assured the visiting investors that key economic drivers, including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Commissioners for Finance and Information, were present to demonstrate the government’s seriousness about the proposed collaboration.
Earlier, the Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, described the engagement as a major step toward bringing global investors to the state.
Dr. Asemakaha noted that the delegation included experts in agriculture, infrastructure, and mining, who have already undertaken pilot projects and investments in several Nigerian states.
The Director at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Abubakar Yerima, said the investors had previously visited states such as Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Oyo, and Gombe, where they are developing special agro-processing zones. He commended Benue State for assembling a capable economic team and described the state as well positioned to benefit from the investment initiative.
The visiting investors from Anhui Province, known as the food basket of China, expressed interest in replicating the province’s transformation from a traditional agricultural region into a technology-driven agricultural powerhouse.
Providing further insight into the investment model, Professor Wang from Anhui Province explained that the project involves the development of large-scale agro-processing zones where crop production, processing, packaging, and marketing are integrated within a single value chain.
Professor Wang noted that the investors typically require land for agricultural production alongside essential infrastructure such as roads, water, and electricity, after which they finance the entire production cycle from cultivation to export.
Also speaking, the Benue State Commissioner for Information, Culture & Tourism, Peter Oboh Egbodo, said the state government recognizes agriculture as a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and food security.
Egbodo explained that the Alia administration is committed to mechanized agricultural production, reducing post-harvest losses, and creating opportunities for unemployed youth through value-added agricultural processing.
The Commissioner for Finance, Michael Oglegba, disclosed that the state had recently held discussions with international development partners, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank (ADB), on establishing agricultural hubs across the state.
He revealed that the Makurdi Industrial Zone, covering about 276 hectares, would serve as the central hub for secondary processing and manufacturing, while primary production and processing would take place across agricultural zones in different parts of the state. Oglegba said the government is ready to provide infrastructure, security, and regulatory support to enable investors to operate effectively.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Benue Agricultural Development Company (ADC), Donald Akule, highlighted the state’s comparative advantage in the production of sesame, soybean, and tuber crops such as yam, cassava, and sweet potato.
He added that Benue also has strong potential in bio-energy production through crops like Jatropha, noting that agricultural waste from production could be harnessed to generate clean and affordable energy for industrial use.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing optimism that the engagement would pave the way for a strategic partnership capable of transforming Benue’s agricultural sector and expanding export-oriented agro-industrial production.
