The Benue State Government has approved a major private-sector agricultural investment valued at approximately ₦378 billion for the establishment of the National Food City Project at Ogyoma Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area.

The approval was granted during a State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Hyacinth Alia, with the project expected to create more than 15,000 direct jobs and significantly boost the state’s agricultural production and processing capacity.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, announced the decision on Wednesday after the council meeting at the Government House in Makurdi.

The project will span more than 30,000 hectares and operate as an integrated agricultural and processing hub, transforming farm produce into finished products for both domestic and export markets.

The initiative is expected to accelerate Benue’s transition from the production of raw agricultural commodities to large-scale processing and value addition.

About 40,000 farmers are expected to participate in the project by supplying key crops, including rice, cassava and maize, as well as livestock feed required for its operations.

Under the investment agreement, the project will operate for 25 years before full ownership of the facility is transferred to the Benue State Government, securing long-term state control of the strategic agricultural asset.