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Football lovers in Benue State have every reason to be excited as the 2025 Governor’s Cup is being primed to surpass every previous edition in organisation, prize money and global standard.
In a high-powered planning meeting held Saturday in Makurdi, the Honourable Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Creativity, Tiza Isaac Imojime Orya, announced that the competition will officially commence with inter-council ward to inter-local government qualifiers tentatively scheduled between 1st and 10th December 2025.
Present at the crucial session were the Chairman of the Benue State Football Association, Paul Ede; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hon. Krayzeetee Atu Terver (who also doubles as Secretary of Lobi Stars); Director of Sports Development; and leaders of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Benue chapter.
Commissioner Orya disclosed that deliberate partnerships are being forged with corporate bodies and diaspora organisations, particularly the Mutual Union of Tiv in America (MUTA), whose financial and moral support was openly appreciated. He stressed that the expanded collaboration will ensure the tournament is not only the most competitive but also the best-packaged since the Governor’s Cup returned under the present administration.
In his words, “Governor Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia is 100% for the youth. His Excellency’s visionary leadership continues to inspire our brothers and sisters abroad to invest in grassroots development, and we are assembling a solid team to make Benue proud.”
The Governor’s Cup, a pet project of the Alia administration, has grown from a simple state competition into a major platform for discovering raw talent, uniting communities and rewarding excellence. Last year’s edition produced several players who have since moved to professional clubs within and outside Nigeria.
With the December timeline now set, local government sports officers have been directed to begin ward-level registrations immediately, while sponsorship talks with major brands are reportedly at advanced stages.
If the energy in that meeting room is anything to go by, Benue football is about to witness a tournament that will be talked about long after the final whistle. The Food Basket State is ready to feed the nation with football excitement once again.
