Posted by Chinenye on Fri 04th Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
A massive agricultural investment is set to transform Benue’s food production landscape, with a new project expected to cover thousands of hectares and bring tens of thousands of farmers into its supply chain.
(Governor Hyacinth Alia. Photo Credit: Daily Post)
Benue State Government has given approval for a major private-sector agricultural investment valued at approximately three hundred seventy-eight billion naira to establish the National Food City Project at Ogyoma Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area.
The approval came during a State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Hyacinth Alia, with the project expected to create more than fifteen thousand direct jobs while boosting the state's food production and processing capacity.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, announced the decision on Wednesday following the council meeting at the Government House in Makurdi.
The project represents a significant expansion of agricultural activity, spanning over thirty thousand hectares of land and functioning as an integrated agricultural and processing hub where farm produce will be transformed into finished products for domestic consumption and export markets.
The development aims to move Benue beyond its historical reliance on producing raw agricultural commodities by promoting processing and value addition across the sector.
About forty thousand farmers are expected to participate, supplying essential crops like rice, cassava and maize, as well as livestock feed needed for the facility's operations.
Iorpev linked the investment to Governor Alia's broader efforts to improve Benue's business environment through policies designed to ease business operations, enforce proper due diligence and attract investors from both Nigeria and abroad.
The investment agreement is structured to remain in force for twenty-five years, after which full ownership of the facility will transfer to Benue State Government, ensuring long-term state control of the asset.