The policies of Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue state have been more of inspirational that generate hope of life among Nigerian citizens living in the North-Central state.
The governor’s developmental strides noticeable in all sectors of the state’s economy, despite paucity of funds, resonate with the pivotal ideas of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.
One of the major goals the cassock-governor set for his administration was to restore the state’s lost glory in agriculture to its original status that earned it the state the appellation of being the ‘Food Basket of the Nation’.
Indeed, the state is rich in agricultural produce of all kinds.
The state occupies the chunk of the fertile and swampy Benue Valley, good for cultivation of large-scale rice, cassava, yam, tomatoes and pepper, soya-beans, among many other crops and also very good for rearing different kinds of animals while the River after which the state is named make available large quantity of fish and other aquatic creatures.
But, the state had suffered low moments, which some pundits ascribed to lack of political will to open up the state for impacting business-friendly programmes that will command more well-meaning investors to partner with this endowed state.
In less than fifteen months of his administration, indigene, citizens, politician across political divide among others have hailed Alia for his intentional policies having direct and immediate and long-term impacts on the people.
The Governor, who has spent most of his 34 years of priesthood in the rural communities of Benue state where agriculture is the major occupation was well aware of this hydraded monster and has taken pragmatic steps to tackle it headlong.
To kickstart, the governor established the Bureau of Agricultural Development and Mechanisation which subsumed two moribund agencies – Benue State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (BNARDA) and Benue Tractor Hiring Agency (BENTHA).
The major thrust of the bureau is to introduce farmers to smart agriculture – access to technology through intensive extension activities, ensuring that farmers are educated, and that they have access to modern technology, new seeds, new inputs to make them more productive -increase their yields through better extension services.
Through the Bureau and other initiatives agricultural activities are not just bouncing back as it was obtained but there is improvement in yield, making food abundant in the state and beyond while farmers and other investors in the sector are cashing out.
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Part of this efforts was shortly after taking over the reins of power, Governor Alia’s administration had for the 2023 farming season procured and distributed 100 trucks of inorganic fertilizers, totaling 60,000 bags distributed to farmers across the 23 Local Government Areas in the state, with plans to increase the number in the future.
The governor had also announced a 50 percent subsidy on fertilizer for Benue farmers in demonstration of his commitment towards supporting farmers in the face of security challenges and economic hardship to enhance agricultural productivity and empowerment of farmers in the state.
The non-nonsense Catholic Priest has been against any attempts to sabotage the sales and distribution process with a marching order to the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Task Force established for the purpose of ensuring fair and urgent distribution of fertilizers to farmers while ensuring severe sanctions are imposed on anyone caught engaging in such activities, regardless of their position.
The Governor admitted and bemoaned lack of critical farm inputs to farmers during the past farming seasons and said his administration was poised to support farmers and improve food production in the state, hence the subsidy.
Also, the administration put in place low-interest loans to 27,600 rural women across the state to enable them venture into various businesses and improve their income levels, which will in turn empower women and drive economic growth at the grassroots level.
Earlier in the year, Alia had commissioned 33 new tractors and disbursed N380 million ($250,000) cheques to community interest groups to undertake climate-smart agricultural activities under the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) scheme of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) scheme.
The governor who had already paid the state counterpart funds of N1 billion for the ACReSAL programme, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing the needed support for the programme to continue to thrive in Benue for the overall good of the people of the state.
He declared the immediate creation of ACReSAL as a new agency of government in the state for the purpose of knowledge and skills transfer and acknowledged that Benue, like many other states in the country, shares numerous challenges such as high poverty rates, a fragile environment, conflicts, degradation of natural resources, low agricultural productivity, and climate-related risks and addressing such challenges requires collective efforts.
“Addressing these multifaceted issues necessitates a concerted effort across various sectors. The ACReSAL project is specifically tailored to bolster institutions and implement activities that mitigate the environmental impacts of climate change,” the Governor noted.
In keeping to his promise, the administration for the 2024 farming season procured over 180 truckloads of assorted fertiliser and distributed to farmers at a subsidised rate.
According to the Director General (DG), Bureau of Agricultural Development and Mechanisation, Engr Terese Ninga, all the 23 local government areas in the state had received at least two truckloads of fertiliser, with the quantity varying based on demand and application timing while remaining truckloads were sold at the Bureau’s headquarters in Makurdi.
Ninga noted that this was the first time since 1982 that the government had provided fertiliser and farm inputs to farmers at subsidised rates in May and said the state government was deliberately supporting farmers to ensure food affordability for all residents in line with the commitment of Alia’s administration to boost food production and enhance food security within the state and beyond.
The Governor in his speech at the flag-off of the 2024 farming season in Makurdi the state capital maintained that his administration has prioritised the agricultural sector as the lowest hanging fruit to catalyse growth and economic development of Benue State.
He said the renewed strategic partnership with development partners such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain in Rice and Cassava, Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), ACReSAL among others has opened up new opportunities for value addiction and agro-processing, creating jobs and boosting the local economy.
Alia noted that within his first year in office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has witnessed some modest transformation including the resuscitation of the Benue State Swine and Crop Improvement Project at Yandev that was established to improve local performance of our indigenous breed of pigs as well as improve the protein intake of Benue People.
He recalled that last year, the administration distributed 100 trucks of subsidized fertilizer but this year it has doubled that number and ensured timely distribution at the start of the cropping season.
“This renewed focus on agriculture extends beyond fertilizer. For the first time in over a decade, the state government is subsidizing other essential farming inputs like seeds/seedlings, agrochemicals and knapsack sprayers.
“Today, we are distributing quality fertilizers, seeds and other farm inputs to our farmers to enable them to achieve bountiful harvest. This support will improve crop productivity, enhance food security and increase the income of our rural farmers. We are committed to boosting agricultural productivity in Benue State and positioning our farmers for sustainable growth and prosperity,” Alia said.
Recently too, the Governor at a meeting with Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso requested the CBN to facilitate partnership with development finance institutions to fund large-scale projects such as agricultural mechanization, industrial parks, special economic zones, and major infrastructure projects to spur economic development across the state.
“Benue State is known for its agricultural prowess, producing crops such as soybeans, rice, cashew nuts, mangoes, oranges, sweet potatoes, yams, and others in abundance We seek your support in boosting the production of these crops. Enhancing food production will create jobs along the entire value chain, from farming to processing to distribution. Moreover, increasing the supply of these crops will help reduce food inflation, benefiting not only Benue State but also the entire country by ensuring food security,” he said.
Beyond these, the Alia’s administration has embarked on massive infrastructure – roads construction to open up rural areas for enhanced agricultural production while efforts are own to address the inherited security challenges which retarded farming activities before the coming on board of the governor.
“All the roads infrastructure are apportioned to all the local government areas. We are trying to make intrastate connectivity and that involve so much. It is something that is so dear to my heart.
“We have relative peace today because we are on the lane of sincerity. We took another route. We do security but it has to be targeted and deliberate. So if we discover any individual inciting a group of young people to be responsible for this we will make sure you pay for it.
“We have a number of programmes to keep unrolling for the farmers so that the Benue glory on farm produce takes its position and my farmers smile to the banks and they are happy once again,” Alia had said recently on his transformative agenda in relation to agriculture.
• Bodunde, a social commentator, wrote from Lagos
