(Benue Map. Photo Credit: Nation News)
Benue State Government has unveiled a five-year Strategic Food Security Plan designed to stabilise agricultural output and address security challenges affecting farming communities across the state.
The plan was presented at an event themed “Enhancing food security and peace building in Nigeria through Strategic Planning.”
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security indicated Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commitment to full implementation, encompassing a mid-term review scheduled for 2028 and a final evaluation by 2031.
The Commissioner urged government ministries, departments and agencies to adopt ownership of the plan, whilst calling on local government councils, traditional leadership and farming communities to integrate its provisions within their localities.
He noted that insecurity, including att@cks by armed groups, had displaced farmers and disrupted planting and harvest cycles across the state.
He credited the Supply Chain, Research and Innovation Hub policy team for developing the framework.
The plan’s objectives include stabilising the production environment, clarifying land governance, rebuilding rural economies, and strengthening logistics and market systems.
In presenting the plan, officials characterised recurring att@cks on farmers by armed groups as reflecting systemic weaknesses at the intersection of food systems and conflict, rather than simple agricultural deficiency.
Benue, historically identified as Nigeria’s agricultural centre due to its fertile terrain and water resources, now confronts converging pressures from insecurity, displacement, land-use disputes and climate variability that have undermined agricultural resilience.