By Ayodele Quadri, Lagos Times Correspondent
MAKURDI — The Benue State Executive Council, chaired by Governor Hyacinth Alia, has approved an investment agreement valued at approximately ₦378 billion for the development of the National Food City Project at Ogyoma Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area.
Disclosed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, following the council meeting in Makurdi, the landmark private-sector agricultural initiative is designed to transition Benue State from primary commodity sales to large-scale, value-added processing.
Spanning over 30,000 hectares of land, the integrated agricultural complex is projected to generate over 15,000 direct jobs and engage roughly 40,000 local farmers as primary suppliers for rice, cassava, maize, and livestock feed. The processed goods will target both domestic consumption and export markets. Structurally, the public-private arrangement operates under a 25-year concession, after which full ownership of the facilities will transfer to the Benue State Government.
