Benue State, long branded the food basket of the nation, is trying to turn that reputation into industry. The state government has signed a ₦25 billion agricultural partnership aimed at moving farming from subsistence toward commercial, value-added production, according to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
What the Deal Covers
Signed on July 15, 2026, at Government House in Makurdi, the agreement is expected to attract about ₦25 billion into commercial soybean production, irrigation farming, integrated agriculture, out-grower schemes, value-chain development, research and vocational training, according to the Ministry. The project will begin at Mbatiev in the Buruku Local Government Area on government-owned land, which officials say guarantees institutional backing and a clear legal footing.
The Case Benue Is Making
Representing Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Deputy Governor, Dr Sam Ode, said the administration was committed to due process and transparency in its investment engagements, and framed the partnership as a way to strengthen the state's standing not only as Nigeria's food basket but as a gateway to Africa's food future, according to the Ministry. The managing director of the partner firm, Benue-AgriPro Limited, Ahmed Saalim Abubakar, described the agreement as a major milestone, while the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Benjamin Ashaver, said the project would help address post-harvest losses and expand value addition, pledging full institutional support.
Part of a Wider Drive
The deal builds on a run of investment agreements the state has pursued to industrialise its farms, including an earlier memorandum for an integrated agro-industrial estate, according to the Ministry. The push also lands against a national backdrop of underinvestment, with the combined 2026 agricultural allocation of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory standing at just 4.58 per cent, below the 10 per cent target under African Union commitments, according to Vanguard, and the Federal Government promoting a 10-year agrifood roadmap that leans heavily on private capital, according to THISDAY.
Soybeans feed cooking oil, animal feed and processed foods, so more processing in a major growing state can ripple across several food chains. FoodPrices Nigeria tracks verified retail prices across Lagos markets and will watch whether investment in states like Benue eases pressure on what households pay.
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