Benue State Showcases Export, Industrialization, and Investment Drive at IATF 2025 in Algiers, Algeria.
Algiers, Algeria September 6, 2025
Benue State has taken the spotlight at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers, Algeria, with a strong pitch for its economic transformation agenda anchored on agriculture, mineral development, and industrialization.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Special Adviser on International and Global Partnership, Zaki Asen, presented the state’s roadmap for trade and development.
Zaki emphasized that Benue remains Nigeria’s “Food Basket of the Nation” and the country’s largest producer of soybeans, a commodity with rising export demand. Alongside soybeans, he noted that yams, citrus, pepper, mangoes, tomatoes, and oil palm are being strategically positioned for export under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
To consolidate this drive, he disclosed that Governor Alia will be establishing an Export Facilitation Desk in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). This mechanism, he explained, will ensure that Benue products attain international certification and standards, making them competitive across African and global markets.
Zaki further underlined the Governor’s determination to put Benue on the global investment map. He revealed that the Benue International Investment and Economic Summit, recently launched by the Governor, forms a cornerstone of this strategy, serving as a deliberate effort to attract global attention to Benue State. He stressed that the summit, together with the newly established Benue Investment Promotion Agency (BIPA), is designed as a platform to showcase opportunities, connect with investors, and provide a one-stop facilitation service with tax incentives, land access, and regulatory support.
“Through the Investment and Economic Summit, His Excellency has created a window for the world to see Benue’s vast potential. This is how the state is inviting global players to partner with us in building a new economy.
He also pointed to regional collaboration as a key pillar of the state’s agenda, noting that the Governor is putting in place a collaborative strategy that will bring together Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi, and Cross River States to harmonize policies, establish joint processing and logistics facilities, and strengthen trade corridors.
On the state’s mineral wealth, Zaki described gold, lithium, lead, limestone, coal, barite, gemstones, and salt as “hidden assets” that the administration is opening up for responsible mining and industrial development. He added that agro-industrial parks and clusters are also underway to promote value addition, job creation, and revenue diversification.
“AfCFTA is a game-changer, and Benue State is ready to seize the opportunities it presents. By leveraging agriculture, minerals, and industrialization, we are laying the foundation for an economy that attracts investors, creates opportunities for our people, and positions Benue as a continental hub for agro-industrial and mineral-based growth,” Zaki concluded.
The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025), organized by Afreximbank in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, runs from September 4 to 10 at the SAFEX Exhibition Center, Algiers. With over 1,600 exhibitors and more than 35,000 participants, the fair remains Africa’s largest platform for trade and investment promotion.
