Location
| History | Agriculture
| Mineral | Education
| Tourism | People
| Local Government Areas | Links
| Contact |
| Capital: |
Makurdi |
| Area: |
34,059
km˛ square |
| Population: |
5,181,642
(2005 est.) |
| Number
of Languages: |
AGATU,
AKPA, IDOMA (14) |
| Governor: |
Gabriel
Suswan (PDP) |
| ISO
3166-2: |
NG-BE |
| Date
Created: |
3
February 1976 |
| Population
Rank: |
Ranked
7th |
|
 |
Benue
is a state in east-central Nigeria. Its capital is Makurdi.
It had a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Benue is
a rich agricultural region, full of rivers, and could be called
the breadbasket of Nigeria. Some crops grown there are potatoes,
cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax, yams and beniseed.
Benue State is located in the middle belt area of Nigeria and
is bordered by Nassarawa State to the north, Taraba to the east,
Ebonyi and Cross River to the south and Kogi State to the west.
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Benue
State was created on February 13, 1976.
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Benue state is
acclaimed the nation's "food basket" because of
its rich and diverse agricultural produce which include yams,
rice, beans, cassava, potatoes, maize, Soya beans, sorghum,
millet and coco-yam. The state also accounts for over 70 percent
of Nigeria's Soya beans production. It also boasts of one
of the longest stretches of river systems in the country with
great potential for a viable fishing industry, dry season
farming through irrigation and for an inland water way through
irrigation and for an inland water way.
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Benue is blessed
with abundant mineral resources. These include Limestone,
Gypsum, Anhydride, Kaolin, natural Gas, Salt, Petroleum Oil,
Lead and Zinc, Barytes, Clay, Coal, Calcite, Germstones and
Magnetite.
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Colleges of Education
at Katsina-Ala and Oju, Akperan, Orshi College of Agriculture
and the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery in Markudi. Federal
Government College, Vandeikya, University of Agriculture,
Markudi ( www.unaab.edu.ng), and the Federal Technical School,
Otukpo
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Ushongo Hills,
Ushongo Natural/Physical DI * Ikwe Holiday Resort Natural/Man-made
* Enemabia Warm Spring, Natural Okpoya * Kwag-hir Puppet Festival,
Cultural (Nov./ Gboko/Makurdi Dec.) Souvenir * Dajo Pottery,
Makurdi Traditional * TIV Anger Weavers, Monu
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Many of the ethnic groups that inhabit Benue State today were
associated with the rise and fall of Kwororofa Kingdom. The
ancient Kwororofa Kingdom under Jukun leadership was a confederacy
of many ethnic groups that co-opted in a number of ways to lay
the foundation of present day Benue and the neighbouring States
like Plateau, Taraba and Cross River.
This
great empire lasted till about the seventeenth century when
it collapsed after suffering severe military attacks from
the emerging Borno Empire. It is from this confederacy that
the Idoma, Igala, Igbirra and Etulo are believed to have emerged
at various times in history.
The Etulo
are of Jukun stock and their head, Otse Etulo, is still ratified
by the Aku Uka of Wukari. They left Apa when the Jukun empire
disintegrated and fled to their present location where they
are completely encircled by their neighbours.
The Bassa-Komo
possibly fleeing from the turbulence caused by the Fulani
crossed the River Benue to settle in their present location.
They speak the same language as the Bassa of Plateau, Niger
and Kogi States with whom they claim a common ancestry.
Their
close neighbours, the Bassa-Nge were among the Nupes who left
their land before the Fulani conquest, migrating first southwards,
settling in Lokoja before finally crossing over to settle
at their present place. Also close to the Bassa is an Igbirra
group whose main town is Mozum and who migrated from the legendary
Kwororofa Kingdom, settled first at Nassarawa in the present
Plateau State before moving to their present location
The Tiv
a semi-Bantu-stock from the Katanga region of Congo-Zaire
had migrated to seven hills in the West of Cameroun between
the year 1750 to 1800 when all the communities in the Apa
region of the Kwororofa were in a state of turmoil. Hence
it was easy for the arriving Tiv to fight their way into the
land until they reached the banks of the River Benue and Katsina-Ala,
thus forcing the Idomas, for example, to move further westwards.
By 1800,
all the people in the area to be known later as Benue State
had arrived in the area and had learnt to co-exist with one
another.
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Benue
State is divided into Twenty Three Local Government areas fourteen from the Tiv speaking area and nine from the Idoma speaking area. They are Ado, Agatu, Apaa, Buruku, Gboko, Guma, Gwer East and Gwer West, Katsina-Ala, Konisshisha-Tse, Kwande, Logo, Obi, Ogbadibo, Ohimini, Oju, Okpokwu, Tarka, Otikpo, Ukum, Makmuni and Varideikya.
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Schools
on The Web:
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State
Liason Office:
Plot 1221A, Bishop Oluwole Street,PMB 12682 V.Island, Near
Yakubu Gowon Centre Asokoro District Abuja
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