Throughout the electioneering period and even up to the period in which he was sworn into office, the Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has identified agriculture as one of the most viable sectors that the state needs to be proud of.
This sector has therefore remained indelible in the heart of the Governor and its transformation from a peasant and upgrade to become a vibrant business, has called for multi-faceted efforts. It is pleasing to hear the Governor emphatically stress that, “we don’t have oil but we have the soil”.
This therefore, underscores the greater importance the Potent Priest, who is in the saddle of the governance of the State, attach to the task of redeeming the state’s agricultural sector from the doldrums or sliding into oblivion.
On several occasions, the Governor lamented that despite the popularity of the appellation of being the ‘Food Basket of the Nation’, Benue farmers still notoriously lack (then) the capacity to guarantee food security hence they had no wherewithal to produce optimally. Consequently, it occasioned on him to take very urgent and responsible steps towards revolutionizing the sector in a manner that it becomes a money spinner that generates wealth for the state and lift the population out of poverty.
It could be recalled that, while unveiling his manifesto christened, “Strategic Development Plan for a Greater Benue,” Governor Alia said he would take deliberate steps to structure the manifesto around seven priority pillars on which he will develop the state. Agriculture featured prominently.
“We all, as stakeholders, have duty, a responsibility, to ensure that the state does not only exist but the state lives to its fullness. For now, we are no near to that and that is why we had to do everything it takes to bring better prospects and to renew the good of our great state. Benue is too rich to be poor and to do anything less is not appreciating what God has made of us”, he said.
He explained that the document is structured around seven priority pillars with the acronym “SACHIIP” which stands for “Security of lives and property, Agriculture and rural development, Commerce and Industry, Human capital and social development, Infrastructure and environment, Information and Communication Technology, (ICT) and Political and economic governance.”
Bearing in mind that the prevailing circumstances which agriculture cultivation is practiced (hoe and cutlass approach), is no longer tenable in the 21st century, the Governor said he would encourage mechanized agricultural practices in the state through resuscitation of state agricultural agencies like Agricultural Development Company, (ADC), Benue Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (BENARDA) and Benue Tractor Hiring Agency (BENTHA) among others.
He has made agriculture a top priority in Benue State, aiming to revolutionize the sector and make it a key driver of the state’s economy. The government has implemented various agricultural policies, programs and initiatives to support farmers and improve productivity in the sector. Some of the initiatives implemented by the government include, providing inputs and subsidies to farmers. Under this, the government would always buy and distribute fertilizers at subsidized rates, improved seeds, and other inputs to farmers in the state, to boost crop yields and quality.
Again, the governor mapped up innovative strategies towards empowering women and youth in agriculture. Under this, targeted beneficiaries have been mopped up and dedicated training programs, financial support, and other forms of assistance, extended to them. Already, benefits of this initiatives are springing up.
This is because Benue State like many of the states in Nigeria, shares in some of the numerous challenges, included but not limited to, high poverty rates, a fragile environment, conflicts, degradation of natural resources, low agricultural productivity, climate-related risks, limited access to modern technology and weak institutional capacity, which calls for concerted efforts across various sectors, to address the multifaceted challenges.
On this note, during the occasion of the Implementation Support Mission of the Agro- Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), specifically tailored to bolster institutions and implement activities that mitigate the environmental impacts of climate change, including supporting efforts aimed at landscape management, improving community livelihoods, and resilience, and strengthening institutional frameworks, the State Governor, reaffirmed his commitment to providing the necessary support for the ACReSAL project to thrive. This he said, his ambition is to rejuvenate the agricultural sector, by elevating Benue State to unprecedented heights in food production, etc.
At the occasion few months back, visitors from the World Bank team, led by Dr. Joy Agene, Task Team Lead (TTL), and the Federal Project Management Team, headed by Mr. Abdulhamid Umar, State Project Coordinators from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, and the 19 ACReSAL States, whose relentless efforts have been pivotal in driving the success of the ACReSAL project, in their respective states, were also present at the event, to support the passion of the Governor towards revolutionizing agriculture, in the State.
The joint initiatives between the State Government and the ACReSAL Project, according to the Governor include; Establishing fully functional plant nurseries and greenhouses in Otukpo, Makurdi, and Vandeikya LGAs,
Setting up an Agroforestry Centre for Research at Akperan Orshi Polytechnic, Yandev, Gboko, and the College of Education, Katsina-Ala, Undertaking reforestation and afforestation of degraded forest reserves, and establishing agroforestry models and food forests in several LGAs including Otukpo, Ohimini, Ogbadibo, Oju, Gboko, Vandeikya, Konshisha, and Gwer East local governments, respectively; others are, Introduction of drought-resistant Tenera palm and coconut (Cocos nucifera) in degraded farmlands across the state, Implementation of restoration interventions in riparian areas around river Benue to mitigate perennial flooding, Designing of stormwater and gully erosion control structures in various LGAs like Ogbadibo, Gboko, Vandeikya, Makurdi, and Otukpo LGAs, as well as provision of water harvesting facilities for 1,700 households across the Benue’s three senatorial districts in the State.
There would be a high-priority ACReSAL Project activities in the State, which encompasses the rehabilitation of dilapidated dams such as Adoka-Icho Community Dam in Otukpo LGA and Naka Dam in Gwer West LGAs, provision of drilling trucks with rigs and backup vehicles for installing solar-powered boreholes to meet community water needs, procurement of specialized swamp buggy vehicles for diverse environmental management activities, Renovation and upgrading of agricultural produce warehouses/agro hubs across the 23 LGAs, and the Distribution of solar-powered irrigation pumps to farmer groups in Benue’s senatorial districts, respectively.
Governor Alia further revealed that, the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) Scheme, which was presented to farmer groups at the occasion, across the State, is an investment fund rather than a grant. The sum of $250,000 (in naira value of N380million) was distributed to the farmer groups, designed to revitalize agricultural practices among them and households, to undertake climate smart agricultural activities in the state, under the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) scheme of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) scheme. The selection process was done transparently, to ensure only the most deserving beneficiaries received the funds, which has been circulated within communities as repayments are made.
He, the Governor, who has already paid the sum of N1,000,000,000 as counterpart fund for the ACReSAL programme, urged all the beneficiaries to exercise diligence and prudence in managing the resources.
Furthermore, the food shortages experienced nationally and globally, which have had widespread repercussions, driving some individuals towards crime and other vices in the State, is another major concern for the Governor to tackle, which he said, the provision of tractors by his administration, to promote farming activities, would spur the youths’ interests in the sector, to rekindle them, as the criminal tendencies hitherto in them, that formed a barrier for their productivity, are completely curbed.
Thirty Three (33) brand new tractors has been purchased and inaugurated at the Implementation Support Mission of the ACReSAL program, and over 33,000 households are expected to benefit from it annually.
The Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank Nigeria office, who also doubles as the Task team leader for the ACReSAL project, Dr. Joy Iganya Ajene, said the team was in the state to assess, support and look at the challenges of the programme, but discovered that no challenges were found, and attributed the development to an indication that the programme has so far recorded tremendous success in the state.
She commended the Governor and the ACReSAL team in the state, for playing their respective roles, saying that Benue State, stands to gain more from the programme if the State Government continues to strengthen the needed institutions in order to keep gaining more benefits.
The ACReSAL programme, seeks to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change in Northern Nigeria on a multi-dimensional scale, increase agricultural production, reduce poverty and improve standard of living with financing from the World Bank, even as the project became effective in June 2022, and will end in March 2028, covering 19 Northern States including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, with the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, providing a conducive working environment for the team in the state to work, and supporting the community farmers in the State, as a deliberate mandate of the component “B” of the ACReSAL project, to enhance the resilience of communities, to improve their livelihoods.
Kumun, is the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media.
