The Honourable Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Berger Alfred Emberga, on Wednesday joined Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia and other stakeholders in advancing a new economic development agenda designed to unlock Benue’s vast investment potentials and position the state for sustainable prosperity.
The Speaker was among dignitaries who attended the grand finale of the maiden Benue 2035 Economic Transformation, Capital Formation and Prosperity Summit, held at the Fr. Alia Conference Hall, SEMA Headquarters, Makurdi. With the theme “From Potential to Prosperity,” the summit focused on strategies for mobilising capital, attracting investments, creating employment opportunities, developing enterprises and leveraging Benue’s agricultural, human and natural resources for sustainable economic growth.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Governor Alia challenged stakeholders to move beyond policy discussions and ensure that the ideas and recommendations generated at the summit translate into measurable economic outcomes. He said the ultimate test of the summit would be its ability to deliver jobs, improved security, infrastructure, increased investment and better living conditions for the people. “We have the will to ensure that it works, and definitely it will work,” the Governor said.
Governor Alia disclosed that the summit was aimed at building a $5 billion investment platform, stressing that Benue must deliberately create an environment capable of attracting capital and stimulating private-sector-led growth. He also proposed a 30-year development plan to provide a sustainable and long-term framework for the state’s economic transformation. The Governor said the State Economic Consultative Body would review the proposals emerging from the summit and develop them into a more functional mechanism for driving economic growth and development.
Presenting the summit’s resolutions, BIPC GMD, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha Jr., said participants had developed a Strategic Action and Sustainable Investment Plan based on root-cause analysis, stakeholder alignment, measurable targets, capital formation and implementation. According to him, priority areas identified include human capital development, enterprise and innovation, agro-allied industries, technology, infrastructure, governance and investment mobilisation.
Dr. Asemakaha stressed the urgency of creating jobs and enterprises, citing the increasing number of graduates produced by tertiary institutions in the state. He disclosed that Benue recorded about 14,802 graduates in 2024 and 16,200 in 2025. He also identified agriculture as a major economic opportunity, noting that less than 20 per cent of the state’s land was currently being utilised for commercial farming.
The Team Lead of Hudson Global Consulting, Prince Tim Isehohi, said the summit was structured to ensure broad stakeholder alignment by bringing together different perspectives, including supporters, critics and objective stakeholders. He identified lack of alignment and inadequate funding as two major factors responsible for the failure of many development strategies, stressing that the new framework was designed to address both challenges. Isehohi pointed to agro-allied processing, logistics, technology and governance as areas with significant potential, adding that reducing post-harvest losses could improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen food supply chains.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Sam Ode, mni, highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure and security, including the establishment of BIDC as a digital infrastructure and regulatory institution and the provision of free right-of-way for fibre-optic deployment across the state. He added that technology-driven platforms were also being developed to strengthen governance and security.
One of the major outcomes of the summit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Benue State Government and Hudson Global for the establishment of the Benue Economic Transformation Corporation (BETC). The proposed corporation is expected to serve as a strategic institutional vehicle for converting Benue’s economic opportunities, productive assets and comparative advantages into investable projects, productive enterprises, sustainable revenues and improved economic wellbeing for citizens.
The MoU provides the framework for the establishment, capitalisation, governance and operation of BETC, marking a significant step towards institutionalising the state’s long-term economic transformation agenda.
The three-day summit, organised by the Benue State Government through the office of the Group Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, brought together economic experts, technocrats, academics, development partners, investors and other stakeholders to examine practical pathways for transforming the state’s economic fortunes.
