Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Hudson Global Consulting to implement seven strategic investment strategies developed at the Benue 2035 Economic Transformation, Capital Formation and Prosperity Summit and to attract a 5 billion US dollars investment to the state.
The three-day summit, organized by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, BIPC, in partnership with Hudson Global, was convened to develop practical strategies capable of moving Benue from its economic potential to measurable prosperity.
At the closing ceremony, Governor Alia appreciated the lead facilitator, participants, the BIPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, CFA, management and staff of the company for taking their time and making sacrifices to develop a strategy for the entire state.
He thanked them for accepting the project as a responsibility for the people of Benue, stressing that his administration has the political will to ensure that the strategy succeeds. “We have the will to ensure that the strategy works and it must work,” Governor Alia declared.
The Governor also announced plans to establish a Benue Economic Council as part of efforts to strengthen coordination of the state’s economic transformation agenda.
He said the summit is part of steps to develop a 30-year development plan which he committed to during the 50th anniversary of the state.
The summit framework, as presented by the BIPC GMD, Dr. Asemakaha, emphasized that Benue 2035 was designed not as another conference or report, but as a transformation process leading to measurable results.
He enumerated the seven strategies to includes vision and system, foundation, value creation, cost and capital, ownership and governance, organizational renewal, and tools and innovation.
The GMD called for focused strategic choices, rather than a long list of projects, with clear ownership, governance, financing and performance measures.
Also Speaking, Team Lead of Hudson Global Consulting, Prince Tom Isehohi, said the summit was deliberately structured to achieve broad stakeholder alignment by bringing together government supporters, critics and independent stakeholders.
According to him, the approach was designed to address two major factors responsible for the failure of strategic plans—lack of alignment and inadequate funding.
Isehohi identified agro-allied processing, logistics, technology and governance as key opportunities, noting that reducing post-harvest losses could increase farmers’ incomes and strengthen food supply chains.
Benue State Deputy Governor, Dr. Sam Ode, mni, highlighted interventions in digital infrastructure and security, including the establishment of the Benue Infrastructure and Digital Commission, BIDC.
He added that the government had provided free right-of-way for fibre-optic deployment across the state, while technology-driven platforms were being developed to improve security and governance.
The signing of the MoU marks the commencement of the implementation phase. The summit’s execution pathway provides for a PPP vehicle, detailed transformation plans, capital mobilization, implementation, and continuous monitoring and adjustment.
