By Peter Duru, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has urged youths in the state to take advantage of opportunities provided by his administration, acquire relevant skills and shun social vices to enable them contribute meaningfully to the development of the state and the country.
Alia made the call on Thursday in Makurdi during the 2026 International Youth Day celebration.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Samuel Ode, commended Benue youths for their support for his administration, describing them as critical partners in the development of the state.
He urged young people to take the lead in transforming society, stressing that their voices must be heard in matters concerning the future of the state and country.
“Young people are partners in building a virile society in every aspect. Since you possess the capacity to transform the nation, your voice must be heard loudly.
“Always ask questions, provoke challenges and seek solutions. The International Youth Day provides an opportunity to reflect and celebrate creativity and ingenuity in different areas, especially sports,” he said.
Alia said his administration had created an enabling environment for youths to thrive, noting that young people were already contributing to the state’s development in agriculture, artisanship, sports, technology and other sectors.
He urged them to embrace agriculture and technology, acquire relevant skills and participate actively in politics while rejecting social vices, irrespective of their backgrounds.
“You are strategically located at the heart of this administration. Government looks up to you towards building the society through innovation, farming and other ventures with the capacity to create jobs.
“We will continue to be youth-friendly and provide the enabling environment for our young people to strive and prosper,” the governor said.
Youths must unite against insecurity — Ojema
Earlier, the chairman of the occasion and member representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Ojotu Ojema, described youths as critical partners in development and custodians of Benue’s future.
Ojema challenged the youths to critically consider the kind of state they wanted to inherit and the leadership required to build it.
He identified unemployment as one of the major challenges confronting young people, while noting that insecurity remained a serious threat to peaceful coexistence.
The lawmaker urged Benue youths to rise above political, ethnic, religious and personal differences and unite against insecurity.
“Together, we can build a safer, more peaceful and more prosperous Benue where every young person can live, work and pursue their dreams without fear,” he said.
9,700 youths engaged through BIPC
In his welcome address, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilisation and Illegal Levies, Terver Gbenda, disclosed that more than 90 per cent of political appointees and political officers in the state were youths.
Gbenda said more than 9,700 youths had been engaged directly and indirectly through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC), while 10,000 youths had received training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
He added that 2,000 people had been employed by the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), while 5,000 youths had benefited from the Alia Cares programme.
Gbenda appealed to the governor to appoint a youth as substantive Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Creativity.
He also urged young people not to allow themselves to be used and abandoned by politicians.
Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, expressed concern over the growing number of graduates in the state, saying about 60,209 young people graduated from tertiary institutions in 2026 alone.
Asemakaha urged youths to acquire practical skills and become problem-solvers, stressing that skills development was essential to making them relevant in the emerging economy.
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