The Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Benue State Agriculture Development Company (ADC), Mr. Donald Akule, has said his company’s Food Value Hunt (FVH) is a holistic approach by Fr. Hyacinth Alia, the Governor of Benue State, towards accelerated development of agriculture in the state.
Benue State is known as the Food Basket of the Nation, but some commentators have recently claimed that the state has lost its status.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, 8th December 2025, during an awareness campaign for the FVH slated for this weekend, he told journalists that the governor is interested in what the emerging generation could do in agriculture and wants speedy development.
“He wants contagious development in agriculture.”
According to Mr Akule, Benue State is undisputably the Food Basket of the Nation (Nigeria) and Fr. Alia wants people who are aged 10 to 35 to come on board and show that they are capable of retaining Benue’s food basket status.
“We are looking for creative solution providers, innovators, and people who will impact our agriculture systems. These systems are holistic along the value chain, not just fixating on food production. It is also about processing, logistics, transportation and all the technologies that brings food from the farm to the table,” Mr. Akule said.
TNT understands that farmers, processors, and innovators in the food industry aged 10-35 are eligible to participate in the FHV audition slated for this weekend.
According to Mr Akule, 10 excelling participants will be picked in each of the 12 episodes lined up for the FVH, with winners standing the chance to be “empowered through mentorship, grants, loans, and awesome prices because everybody in agriculture in Benue State is a stakeholder.”
