Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming the state into an economic hub through strategic investments in agriculture, mineral exploration, tourism, and infrastructure.
Governor Alia made the remarks on Monday while receiving a delegation from the Fiscal Efficiency and Budget Committee of the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission at Government House, Makurdi.
He said his government is determined to harness the state’s abundant mineral resources and embark on large-scale commercial agriculture, agro-industrial innovation, and the revitalization of the tourism and creative sectors.
“Our administration is fully committed to infrastructure development that will unlock both rural and urban potential,” the governor said.
He noted that the visit of the Fiscal Efficiency and Budget Committee was timely and essential to his government’s quest to access the Natural Resources Development Fund (NRDF) — a joint initiative of the federal and state governments designed to finance non-oil sector diversification.
“This engagement is very important to us. It represents the kind of collaboration that can unlock transformative financing for targeted diversification,” Alia stated. “We urge you to make useful recommendations to enable us secure President Bola Tinubu’s approval to access the fund.”
In his response, the Chairman of the Fiscal Efficiency and Budget Committee, Ambassador Desmond Akawou, said the team was in Benue to assess the state’s eligibility to access the NRDF, following a formal request submitted by the governor.
“Our mandate is to advise the federal government on fiscal policy and development of non-oil revenue sources. We are here to verify Benue State’s preparedness and make recommendations to the President for approval,” Ambassador Akawou explained.
He praised the state’s focus on leveraging its natural resources and affirmed the committee’s readiness to support initiatives that align with national goals of economic diversification.
