By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has challenged stakeholders to move beyond discussions and translate the outcomes of the Benue 2035 Economic Transformation, Capital Formation and Prosperity Summit into concrete actions that will drive sustainable economic development in the state.
Governor Alia gave the charge on Wednesday at the closing ceremony of the three-day summit held at the Fr. Alia Conference Hall, SEMA Headquarters, Makurdi.
The Governor commended participants for their commitment, innovative ideas and constructive engagement, saying the summit had achieved broad consensus on practical approaches to addressing Benue’s economic challenges.
“We have the will to ensure that it works, and definitely it will work,” Alia declared.
The summit, themed “From Potential to Prosperity,” was aimed at developing a $5 billion investment platform capable of creating jobs, expanding economic opportunities and improving Benue’s competitiveness.
Alia said the State Economic Consultative Body would review the proposals generated at the summit and transform into a more effective instrument for driving economic growth and development.
He also proposed the development of a 30-year development plan to provide a long-term roadmap for the state’s economic transformation.
According to him, the summit marked a significant step towards building a new Benue, noting that its success would not be measured by the quality of discussions alone but by its impact on employment, security, infrastructure, investment and the overall wellbeing of citizens.
He thanked participants, consultants, development partners and other stakeholders for their contributions, urging them to remain committed to implementing the resolutions reached.
Presenting the summit outcomes, the Group Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, said participants had developed a Strategic Action and Sustainable Investment Plan based on root-cause analysis, stakeholder alignment, measurable targets, capital formation and effective implementation.
Asemakaha identified human capital development, enterprise and innovation, agro-allied industries, technology, infrastructure, governance and investment mobilisation as key priority areas.
He disclosed that tertiary institutions in the state produced 14,802 graduates in 2024 and 16,200 in 2025, stressing the urgent need to create businesses and employment opportunities capable of absorbing the growing workforce.
He further noted that less than 20 per cent of Benue’s land was currently being utilised for commercial farming, describing the untapped agricultural potential as a major opportunity for economic transformation.
Also speaking, Team Lead of Hudson Global Consulting, Prince Tim Isehohi, said the summit was deliberately structured to achieve broad stakeholder alignment by bringing together government supporters, critics and independent stakeholders.
According to him, the approach was designed to tackle two major factors responsible for the failure of strategic plans—lack of alignment and inadequate funding.
Isehohi identified opportunities in agro-allied processing, logistics, technology and governance, adding that reducing post-harvest losses could significantly increase farmers’ incomes and strengthen food supply chains in the state.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Sam Ode, highlighted government interventions in digital infrastructure and security, including the establishment of the Benue Infrastructure and Digital Commission (BIDC) as a digital infrastructure and regulatory institution.
He added that the state government had provided free right-of-way for fibre-optic deployment across Benue, while technology-driven platforms were being developed to improve security and governance.
The highlight of the closing ceremony was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the Benue 2035 Economic Transformation, Capital Formation and Prosperity agenda, signalling the commencement of the implementation phase of the summit’s resolutions.
