Food Basket of the nation — Benue is indeed that!

Food Basket of the nation — Benue is indeed that! Being posted to Kanshio Makurdi, Makurdi LGA, Benue State. I purchased a plate of swallow, NGN300 — I ate and was filled. One fried ice fish, NGN300 at first; after I ate the fried ice fish, I love the taste of it, when leaving the restaurant — I purchased another one. Which I was eating it and be moving to a cyber cafe to run some paper work. I spent NGN900 for meal, that satisfied me, and I was amazed.

Executive, it is akpo, made with cassava. The soup was their local dish, I mixed two of their local soups, one has some seed — the other is draw, cooked with okra! And it was nice. It is my first time to eat akpo and the local soups. Pardon me, I have forgotten the name of the soups, the woman told me their names, and how they are prepared. I took NGN1,500 out, but spent NGN300 a plate of swallow — satisfied me fully. Then the remaining NGN600 was spent on well spiced tasty fried ice fishes. What a good meal? I returned with NGN500, because I did printing with NGN100 at Kanshio Makurdi.

Why am I saying this? In the south-south, you can't eat N300 meal a plate — despite the lands. They all blame Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Federal Government of Nigeria. Majority ventures into land selling; real estate become the booming industry now, why they don't have verse agricultural investments. Small garri with big soup, NGN1,200 — you won't still be satisfied.

Bayelsa State have rivers, yet it is by grace for you to get a good fish at least cheap price. I spent five years, good five years schooling in Bayelsa. Some holidays, I don't travelled back to Rivers State, I stay over. Executive, I was not posted to a village in Benue, I mean a developed town with banks in the state capital. Yet, agricultural products are cheap and eye catchy — their mangoes are big enough like a shield coconut. Guess what? It is cheap!

If Rivers State want to be the best in the south-south, I recommend we should invest in massive agricultural investments, fashion/textiles investments, and public traded real estate investments. These three, agriculture, fashion and real estate — will help in reviving the economy of Rivers State. Then we offer some part of our petroleum refinery to privatisation and some part of our seaport to privatisation — own by capable individuals. 

What have the Rivers State government done by these? Developing the state, balancing cost of feeding, and securing affordable comfortable housing for everyone in the state. Then the privatisation will make capable individuals to partner with the state government — in operating the petroleum refinery and seaport — with legal rights! These acts will cause Rivers State to stand out, and beat Lagos down the GDP annually ranking. 

We are not fighting any state, we are building our state to the best that even a northerner will say, in the south-south: Rivers State is the cheapest in food, developed state full of opportunities, and comfortable housing. I am still learning from Benue State, let's be ourselves and return to the knowledge of the truth that empowers. Artificial intelligence cannot feed us, they only make works and tasks easier — but can't put food not money to buy food — I mean natural food on our table. We should learn from Japan and Israel, we should be knowledgeable enough to leverage and still maintain standing on our root in Agriculture as of the origin. 

I love Nigeria: Rivers State — My State, My Responsibility. God bless Nigeria, God bless Benue State, God bless Rivers State.

© Didi-Omah Augustine Chinazaekpere 

(Businessman, Industrialist, Investor, and a Christian)