11/02/2026
*Benue State Deepens Strategic Partnership with NBTI to Advance Innovation, Agricultural Value Addition and Renewed Hope Economic Transformation*
The Deputy Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Dr. Sam Ode, on behalf of the Executive Governor, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, paid a high-level courtesy visit to the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, in Abuja, to strengthen institutional collaboration in science, technology, innovation, and agricultural value addition.
The visit underscores Benue State Government’s deliberate commitment to building a knowledge-driven and innovation-led economy, in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda and Nigeria First Policy of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR — whose bold, reform-oriented economic policies are repositioning Nigeria toward sustainable productivity, industrial growth, and global competitiveness.
Speaking during the engagement, Dr. Sam Ode conveyed the warm regards of Governor Hyacinth Alia and reiterated the State Government’s resolve to consolidate the strategic relationship initiated with NBTI in 2024. He noted that global economic realities clearly demonstrate that nations which prioritise science, technology, and innovation (STI) are better positioned to achieve sustainable development, job creation, and wealth expansion.
In a forward-looking policy move, the Benue State Government restructured its former Ministry of Science and Energy into the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to ensure seamless alignment with the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and its agencies. This restructuring reflects the administration’s recognition that innovation is no longer optional but central to economic transformation.
The Deputy Governor further highlighted the establishment of a specialised University of Science and Agriculture at Ihugh, designed to serve as a nucleus for research, innovation, agro-technology development, and enterprise creation. He expressed the State Government’s strong interest in partnering with NBTI to support the institution’s take-off, nurture innovators, and commercialise research outputs.
Emphasising Benue State’s comparative advantage as Nigeria’s leading agricultural producer, Dr. Ode stressed the urgent need to transition from primary production to technology-enabled value addition across agricultural value chains. He noted that partnership with NBTI would significantly enhance agro-processing, stimulate industrial clusters, expand export potential, increase internally generated revenue, and create sustainable employment for youths and women.
The Deputy Governor formally invited the NBTI management to undertake a strategic working visit to Benue State to identify priority intervention areas and design a structured collaboration framework. The delegation included the Honourable Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation and senior ministry officials.
Responding, the Director General/CEO of NBTI, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, warmly welcomed the delegation and commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his visionary leadership and commitment to leveraging innovation as a development tool.
Dr. Raji reaffirmed NBTI’s statutory mandate to drive technology incubation, enterprise development, commercialisation of indigenous innovations, and the promotion of innovation-driven entrepreneurship across Nigeria. He emphasised that NBTI’s programmes are fully aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on economic diversification, youth empowerment, industrialisation, and the Nigeria First Policy which prioritises local production, domestic capacity building, and export competitiveness.
He further noted that President Tinubu’s courageous macroeconomic reforms — though bold and demanding — are laying the structural foundation for a resilient, production-driven Nigerian economy anchored on innovation, value addition, and private sector growth. According to him, federal agencies such as NBTI are strategically positioned to translate these national reforms into grassroots economic impact.
Dr. Raji outlined NBTI’s nationwide footprint and intervention framework, which spans indigenous technologies, emerging technologies, agro-processing innovation, creative industries, and inclusive incubation models that accommodate both literate and non-literate innovators.
He highlighted successful value chain interventions, particularly in yam processing, describing it as a transformative opportunity for Benue State. By converting raw yam into high-value finished and semi-finished products such as yam flour and starch derivatives, the state can unlock export markets, stabilise farmer incomes, reduce post-harvest losses, and significantly expand employment opportunities.
The DG also disclosed ongoing engagements with international markets, particularly in the United Kingdom, aimed at positioning Nigerian agro-processed products for global competitiveness through standardisation, packaging innovation, and certification support.
He referenced the remarkable success of NBTI’s NextGen Innovation Challenge 2025 and over 14,000 jobs created nationwide by NBTI within the past year — surpassing projected targets — as evidence of the agency’s growing impact. He expressed confidence that with stronger sub-national collaboration, particularly with progressive states like Benue, the programme’s impact would multiply significantly.
Both parties agreed to institutionalise the partnership through structured frameworks, including the ex*****on of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), strengthening of Technology Incubation Centres in Benue State, development of agro-processing hubs, support for the new University of Science and Agriculture, and joint youth-focused enterprise acceleration initiatives.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advancing inclusive, innovation-driven economic growth that empowers young people, enhances agricultural productivity, and contributes meaningfully to Nigeria’s national economic transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
*Reuben Shagu*
*Assistant Director*
*Head, Information and Public Relations*
*National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI)*
*Abuja, Nigeria*
*10 February 2026*
