Benue unveils food security plan to boost output

The Benue State Government has endorsed a Strategic Food Security Plan aimed at improving agricultural productivity and addressing challenges affecting food production in the state.

The programme, themed “Enhancing Food Security and Peacebuilding in Nigeria through Strategic Planning Project,” brought together stakeholders from different sectors, including farmers and academics, according to a statement.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Benjamin Ashaver, urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state to take ownership of the plan. He also called on local government councils, traditional institutions and farmers to implement the programme within their communities and sustain the partnership that supported its development.

Ashaver, who was represented by the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Danjuma Adejo, said the state had adopted a five-year development plan and reaffirmed Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commitment to implementing the strategy, including a mid-term review in 2028 and an end-term evaluation in 2031.

He also commended the Policy Team of the Supply Chain, Research and Innovation Hub, led by Mr Ajibola Oladipo and Dr Shalem Shiekuma, for its work on the project.

The commissioner said insecurity had adversely affected farming activities in the state, noting that attacks by armed herders had displaced farmers and resulted in the loss of harvests.

“Benue State’s agricultural fortunes have, in recent years, been tested by forces beyond the ordinary challenges of farming. Insecurity has driven farmers from their farmlands. Displacement has fractured our community of planting and harvest seasons. Land-use conflicts between herders and farming communities have destroyed the trust that once held rural communities together,” he said.

Presenting the Strategic Food Security Plan to the state government, Dr. Akange Edward said the policy was designed to stabilise the production environment, clarify land governance, rebuild inclusive rural economies, and strengthen logistics and market reliability, among other objectives.

Edward expressed concern over recurring attacks on farmers by criminal armed bandits, saying the state’s challenge extended beyond agricultural underperformance to structural weaknesses at the intersection of food systems and conflict dynamics.

“Benue State is celebrated as the Food Basket of the Nation. With fertile land, abundant water resources and a resilient farming population, it has historically anchored Nigeria’s food economy.

“Yet today, Benue stands at a crossroads. Insecurity, displacement, land-use conflict, climate pressures and collapsing infrastructure have converged to weaken agricultural stability and rural livelihoods,” he said.