Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has charged political and business leaders, investors, and key development stakeholders to deliberately transform the state’s vast human and natural resources into tangible economic opportunities, investments, jobs, and improved living standards for the people.
Governor Alia delivered the mandate during his opening address at the Benue 2035 Economic Transformation, Capital Formation and Prosperity Summit.
Held on Monday morning, September 7, 2026, at the Fr. Alia Conference Hall, SEMA, in Makurdi, the summit was convened under the theme: “Benue 2035; From Potential to Prosperity: Building a $5 Billion Investment Platform for Job Creation, Prosperity and Global Competitiveness.”
Addressing the gathering, Governor Alia emphasized that raw potential alone is insufficient to elevate society without deliberate execution.
”Potential, by itself, does not transform a society,” Governor Alia stated. “It must be converted into opportunity, opportunity into investment, investment into productive activity, and productive activity into jobs, incomes and improved quality of life.”
The governor tasked participants with generating actionable, bankable strategies rather than theoretical reports. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enabling an ideal business environment through infrastructure development, security, quality healthcare, and educational reforms.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, Group Managing Director and CEO of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), highlighted the state’s strategic advantages, including over 34,000 square kilometers of fertile land and a growing population of 7.3 million. Dr. Asemakaha stressed that Benue’s economic output must outpace its 2.4% annual population growth rate to secure sustainable prosperity.
In a statement issued following the opening session, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, confirmed that the summit’s proposals will undergo executive review and strategic alignment to establish an enduring, long-term economic development blueprint for the state.
