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Benue State drew planetary attraction astatine the just-concluded Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) connected September 6, 2025, successful Algiers, Algeria, arsenic it unveiled its bold docket for export expansion, industrialisation, and concern promotion.
Representing the enforcement politician of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Special Adviser to Governor connected International and Global Partnership, Zaki Asen, presented the state’s imaginativeness for sustainable maturation anchored connected agriculture, mineral resources, and concern development.
Zaki highlighted Benue’s presumption arsenic Nigeria’s “Food Basket of the Nation,” emphasising its relation arsenic the country’s largest shaper of soybeans, alongside yams, citrus, mangoes, tomatoes, lipid palm, and pepper. He explained that the authorities was strategically positioning the products for export nether the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with a peculiar absorption connected planetary standards and certification.
To thrust this ambition, Governor Alia is establishing an Export Facilitation Desk successful collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). The table volition guarantee that Benue products conscionable planetary prime requirements, opening wider entree to African and planetary markets.
Zaki besides underscored Governor Alia’s efforts to spot Benue firmly connected the planetary concern map. He noted the caller motorboat of the Benue International Investment and Economic Summit and the instauration of the Benue Investment Promotion Agency (BIPA) arsenic deliberate steps to pull investors. Together, these initiatives volition supply a one-stop facilitation service, offering incentives specified arsenic taxation breaks, onshore access, and regulatory enactment to businesses.
“Through the Investment and Economic Summit, His Excellency has created a model for the satellite to spot Benue’s immense potential,” Zaki said. “We are inviting planetary players to spouse with america successful gathering a caller system for our people.”
On determination collaboration, helium revealed plans by Governor Alia to fortify commercialized corridors and harmonize policies with neighbouring States, including Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi, and Cross River. These efforts, helium said, volition see associated processing and logistics hubs to trim bottlenecks and boost competitiveness.
Turning to mineral resources, helium described gold, lithium, limestone, coal, barite, gemstones, and brackish arsenic “hidden assets” that the authorities is opening up for liable mining and value-added processing. Agro-industrial parks and clusters, helium added, are besides being developed to make jobs, heighten worth addition, and diversify authorities revenue.
“AfCFTA is simply a game-changer, and Benue is acceptable to prehend the opportunities it presents. Agriculture, minerals, and industrialization volition signifier the pillars of a caller Benue system that is resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive,” helium said.
At the 5th African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) league held alongside the fair, Zaki assured investors of Governor Alia’s committedness to creating a secure, profitable, and sustainable situation for business. He stressed that the medication is determined to alteration Benue’s communicative from 1 of challenges to 1 of opportunities and resilience.
The IATF 2025, organised by Afreximbank successful collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, hosted implicit 1,600 exhibitors and much than 35,000 participants, cementing its spot arsenic Africa’s largest level for commercialized and concern promotion.
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