Throughout the electioneering period and even up to the period in which he was sworn into office, the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. 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; prompting its transformation from peasant farming to a vibrant business. He has also called for multi-faceted efforts. It is pleasing to hear the governor stress that “we don’t have oil but we have the soil.”
This, therefore, underscores the greater importance the governor attached to the task of reviving the state’s agricultural sector.
On several occasions, the governor lamented that despite the popularity of the appellation of being the Food Basket of the Nation, Benue farmers could not still guarantee food security. Hence, they had no wherewithal to produce optimally.
Consequently, it dawned on him to take very urgent and responsible steps towards revolutionising the sector in a manner that it becomes a sector that generates wealth for the state and lift the population out of poverty.
Recall 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. In the manifesto, agriculture featured prominently.
“We all, as stakeholders, have 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 hoe and cutlass approach through which agriculture is practised is no longer tenable in the 21st Century, the governor said he would encourage mechanised agricultural practices in the state through the resuscitation of state agricultural agencies such as 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, an action aimed at revolutionising the sector and making it a key driver of the state’s economy. The government has implemented various agricultural policies, programmes and initiatives to support farmers and improve productivity in the sector. Some of the initiatives implemented by the government include the provision of inputs and subsidies to farmers. Under this, the government would always buy and distribute fertilisers at subsidised rates, improved seeds, and other inputs to farmers to boost crop yields and quality.
Again, the governor mapped up innovative strategies towards empowering women and youth in agriculture. Under this, targeted beneficiaries are to be mopped up and dedicated training programmes, financial support, and other forms of assistance will be extended to them. Already, the benefits of these initiatives are springing up.
This is because Benue State, like many of the states in Nigeria, shares in some of the numerous challenges, including but not limited to, high poverty rates, a fragile environment, conflicts, degradation o f 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.
During the launch 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, Governor Alia, reaffirmed his commitment to providing the necessary support for the ACReSAL project to thrive. He said his ambition is to rejuvenate the agricultural sector, elevating Benue to unprecedented heights in food production.
At the event, 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, also graced the occasion, to support the passion of the Governor towards revolutionising agriculture.
The current 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 local government areas, 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 government areas, respectively. Others are introducing drought-resistant Tenera palm and coconut (Cocos nucifera) in degraded farmlands across the state, implementing restoration interventions in riparian areas around river Benue to mitigate perennial flooding, designing stormwater and gully erosion control structures in various local government areas, including Ogbadibo, Gboko, Vandeikya, Makurdi and Otukpo, councils, provision of water harvesting facilities for 1,700 households across the Benue’s three senatorial districts.
High-priority ACReSAL Project activities in the state also encompass rehabilitation of dilapidated dams such as Adoka-Icho Community Dam in Otukpo and Naka Dam in Gwer West local government areas, provision of drilling trucks with rigs and backup vehicles for installing solar-powered boreholes to meet community water needs, procurement of specialised swamp buggy vehicles for diverse environmental management activities, renovation and upgrading of agricultural produce warehouses/agro hubs across all 23 local government areas, distribution of solar-powered irrigation pumps to farmer groups in Benue’s senatorial districts, among others.
Governor Alia further revealed that the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) Scheme, which was presented to farmer groups across the state, at the occasion, is an investment fund rather than a grant. The sum of $250,000 in naira value of N380 million, was distributed to the farmer groups, designed to revitalise 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 will circulate within communities as repayments are made.
The governor, who has already paid the sum of N1 million as a counterpart fund for the ACReSAL programme, urged all beneficiaries to exercise diligence and prudence in managing the resources.
Furthermore, the food shortages experienced across the country 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, 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. 33 new tractors were also inaugurated at the Implementation Support Mission of the ACReSAL, and over 33,000 households are expected to benefit from it annually with the anticipation of the governor that the machines will be well-maintained and used for their intended purposes to maximise their impact.
Those indigenous to Benue, through the governor, appeal to the World Bank through ACReSAL, to facilitate the construction of access roads linking farmers to markets, to reduce post-harvest losses, connect the rural farmers to buyers, and expedite the delivery of goods and services across the state.
Governor Alia thanked ACReSAL for their continued support to the state, and reaffirmed his commitment to support ACReSAL to have a friendlier environment to work more effectively, and announced that the state government would create an agency for ACReSAL, for sustainability.
Governor Alia presented cheques of the $250,000, distributed to the farmer groups at the occasion, and tasked them to make judicious use of the money, for effective implementation of the aims and objectives of the support, saying that: “Benue is the food basket of the nation. So, we need everyone with the thinking and with the actions that can help us to move from grace to grace in terms of food and food security, and basic state security.”
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 for playing their respective roles, saying that Benue State stands to gain more from the programme if the government continues to strengthen the needed institutions 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 the 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 Governor Alia providing an environment conducive to the team 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. Through these initiatives and achievements, the governor is working assiduously to make Benue State a leading player in the agricultural industry in Nigeria.”