Hyacinth Alia, Benue State Governor, assumed office amid some of the state’s most pressing challenges, including insecurity, widespread displacement, weak infrastructure, unemployment and an economy in need of stronger private-sector activity. Since then, his administration has embarked on reforms aimed at restoring stability, improving public finances and creating an environment for economic growth.
The government has also prioritised the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes, the rebuilding of critical infrastructure, the revival of moribund industries and the strengthening of agriculture, a sector central to Benue’s economic identity. But significant challenges remain, particularly around security, job creation, investment and the sustainability of the state’s finances.
In this interview with BusinessDay’s Tope Omogbolagun, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, speaks on his administration’s efforts to tackle insecurity, return IDPs to their ancestral homes, rebuild infrastructure, revive industries, strengthen agriculture and reform the state’s finances.
Your administration has been in office for over three years. What would you say you have achieved so far, and what informed your development blueprint?
