Benue State Government has approved an investment agreement valued at approximately N378 billion for the establishment of the National Food City Project at Ogyoma Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area.
The project, approved during the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Hyacinth Alia, is expected to generate more than 15,000 direct employment opportunities while supporting the state’s drive to strengthen food production and processing.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the decisions reached at the State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House, Makurdi.
Iorpev described the initiative as a major private-sector agricultural investment that would cover more than 30,000 hectares of land.
According to him, the project will establish an integrated agricultural and processing hub where farm produce will be transformed into finished products for consumption within Nigeria and for export.
He explained that the development is expected to move Benue beyond dependence on the production of raw agricultural commodities by promoting processing and value addition across the sector.
The commissioner said about 40,000 farmers are expected to participate in the project by supplying commodities such as rice, cassava and maize, alongside livestock feed required for the facility’s operations.
Iorpev linked the investment to the Alia administration’s efforts to improve the business environment in Benue through policies focused on ease of doing business, due diligence, and attracting both domestic and international investors.
He further disclosed that the investment agreement would remain in force for 25 years, after which ownership of the facility would be transferred to the Benue State Government.