Over the years, Benue State has been blessed with the plenitude of natural and human resources that have earned her both income and valuable manpower. However, while these remain grossly untapped, concerted efforts are being made to reap windfall from their offerings by Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s administration, which tourism is an essential part.
Expressing the government’s commitment while speaking on Bliss, an NTA Makurdi programme, Director General of Bureau for Arts, Culture, and Tourism, Makurdi, Dr Shadrach Teryila Ukuma reechoed his resolve to revamp this sector by designing tour trips as well as developing tourists sites spread across the state such as the Mbatoho island, Enemabia warm spring, river Oyongo and its 7 tributaries, and many others to make the state tourism friendly and attract plausible investments.
He disclosed that the Bureau is poised to conserve nature reserved areas, protecting them from tree felling in collaboration with ALGON and the locals, also protecting the cultural offerings through the process of managing, protection, and conservation of these crafts from going extinct.
Dr Ukuma added that while the government is taking giant leaps with regards to road network across the state connecting these tourists’ sites, the Bureau is also capitalising on the state’s rich cultural heritage as an attraction, while building infrastructure that supports innovation and digitisation of our expressed heritage.
The Director General appreciated Reverend Father Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, for taking the initiative to conserve culture through student’s community engagements in their dialects, identifying problems, and prefering probable solutions. He also applauded the State’s Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management for their efforts at promoting arts and culture in schools in symmetry with the Bureau’s efforts at organising monthly variety shows as well as arts and crafts festivals for secondary schools. He also called on all stakeholders to close ranks with the Bureau to sustain the tempo in preserving and promoting arts, culture, and tourism in the state.
Saaniyol Ezekiel Akiga
Chief Information Officer
