The Benue State Governor, Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has said the state would embrace the gesture of any willing person or organisation that wants to invest in thw agriculture there. The governor spoke when he received the Member, House of Lords, United Kingdom, Baroness Sandip Verma, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Makurdi.
Though he regretted that the state had lost a lot of ground in the sector in the recent past, Benue still has a lot of investment opportunities, especially in the agricultural sector.
Governor Alia said, “I am appreciative of the efforts of the former UK Minister for Energy and Climate Change, aimed at putting Africa on the radar of development. My government has heard so much about your contributions to Nigeria and Africa, and as such, Benue state is happy to receive you and the team”.
“In as much as you have heard about Benue, we have heard so much about you and your goodwill. We know about your tall profile and the good intentions you have for Nigeria and the entire Africa. I am convinced that you are in the right place.”
He told his guest that Benue had been known as the food basket of the nation, adding that his administration was taking steps to restore the lost opportunities for the good of the state and its people. “We are the Food Basket of the Nation, and there are a number of things we do here in the state. In the past we lost out on a number of opportunities. But for the work we are doing as a government, we want to bring to bear the huge opportunities for all of us as a people and as a state,” the governor explained.
He expressed optimism that given the profile of Baroness Sandip Verma and her track record of achievements in Africa and Nigeria, the state will greatly benefit from her.
Earlier in her address, Baroness Sandip Verma, thanked the Governor for the invitation, saying she sees herself as a Nigerian, and given that the country has so much to offer the World, she is pleased to be part of the journey. While promising to continue to work hand in hand with Nigerians in the diaspora for the empowerment of the women in the State and Nigeria as whole, Baroness Verma thanked the Benue State Government for the warm reception accorded her, saying she will be looking forward to many of such visits and meetings for the overall growth of the state.