‎Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has said locating the multi-billion naira National Food City Project in the Benue South Senatorial District (Zone C), specifically in Otukpo Local Government Area was a deliberate act aimed at inclusivity for all zones of the state.

‎‎The governor stated this during a Diaspora Townhall meeting organised by office of Benue State Directorate for Diaspora, Linkages and Investment Office in Makurdi.
‎‎The National Food City Project is designed as an integrated agri-industrial hub, and will involve cultivating over 30,000 hectares of mechanised farmland, agro-processing facilities for crops such as rice, cassava, maize, and soybeans.

‎‎According to the governor, situating the project in Benue South shows he is a governor for all citizens of the state.
The governor added further that since assumption of office, he had been ensuring that the resources of the state were equitably distributed to all zones in the state.

‎Answering questions bothering on lopsided distribution of developmental projects in the state, Governor Alia maintained that the National Food City Project was a direct outcome of his administration’s clear policy direction to industrialise agriculture, improve food security, and unlock rural prosperity through private capital and innovation.

‎‎“It will be deploying renewable energy infrastructure with a generation capacity of up to 25 megawatts to power on-site operations, with complementary infrastructure, including staff housing, clinics, internal roads, and warehouse facilities to ensure the development’s sustainability and long-term impact,” he said.

‎He explained that the Food City Complex would be delivered under a Design-Build-Operate-Transfer, DBOT, framework, stating that the state government would provide land and critical infrastructure, while Rexzodeneh Group Limited (RGL), would finance, build and manage the facility for 25 years before transferring ownership to the state.

Governor Alia added: ‎‎”It was a landmark Public-Private Partnership, PPP, agreement with Rexzodeneh Group Limited, RGL, to establish a multi-sectoral National Food City Complex.

”The agreement, marked the first formal PPP agreement in the State’s 50-year history and a major milestone under my administration.”
‎‎Speaking on some of the infrastructural projects of his administration in Zone C, the governor disclosed that the longest single road infrastructure constructed under his administration was in Zone C.

He listed the 43.5km Obagaji-Okokolo-Agagbe; the 31.35km Igumale-Agila; the 52km Awajir-Oju roads, amongs others, adding that Otukpo inner city roads were in the pipeline and would soon be flagged off.

‎He also mentioned the functional Otukpo/Otobi water works completely rehabilitated and adequately reticulated around Otukpo and its environs by his administration.

‎‎The governor revealed further that a total number of 89 Primary Health Care Centres were rehabilitated, with Benue South alone taking 33.

‎‎In the area of education, he said his administration had reconstructed/rehabilitated 29 primary schools across the nine local government areas of the zone, while five schools, including LGEA Primary School, Edumoga, Okpokwu; LGEA Primary School, Agatu; Methodist Primary School, Okeke, Ohimini; LGEA Primary School, Ajide Eke and St. Mary’s Pilot Primary School, Ogobia, Ogboju in Otukpo LGA were on the 2025 matching grant.