Former Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State on International Investment, Hon. Alex Addingi, has formally declared his intention to contest for the House of Representatives seat for Buruku Federal Constituency, unveiling an extensive development agenda anchored on agriculture, education, digital skills, and foreign investment.
Speaking during a media engagement at the NUJ House in Makurdi on Monday, Addingi said his entry into politics was driven by a shared vision with Governor Hyacinth Alia, not party affiliation. “I didn’t come as an APC member or any party member. I came because I saw somebody with a vision,” he said.
Addingi recounted his public service trajectory, noting that he served the Benue State Government in 1992–1993 before working for seven years with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ( former NAFDAC Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii. During that period, he said, his team inspected factories across all seven continents, building a global network of contacts in Asia, Europe, and beyond.
Those connections, he explained, formed the basis of his appointment as Special Adviser on International Investment, a new office created by the Alia administration. “I had a comparative advantage to bring in foreign investors, particularly from China, Vietnam, and other countries in Europe and Asia,” he said.
The former Special Adviser disclosed that under his watch, the state recorded several milestones, including the establishment of a factory in his local government for fluoride and lithium battery components for solar energy. He stated that Benue is also finalising a “Friendship and Cooperation Agreement” with Gansu Province in China, a region whose GDP he said is “five times more than Nigeria’s.” The Buruku House of Representatives hopeful noted that the partnership will cover medicine, education, infrastructure, solid minerals, and other sectors.
According to Addingi, about 13 groups facilitated through his office have travelled to China for exchange programmes in IT, agriculture, and entrepreneurship, with each batch comprising four to five participants.
He recalled that Benue staged its first International Investment Summit two years ago, which attracted discussions with Indonesia, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. He credited the state government with creating structures to improve the ease of doing business, including waivers and institutional reforms that have made the state more attractive to foreign investors.
As “point man” for Buruku LGA, Addingi said his focus is on reversing the constituency’s underdevelopment. Central to his plan is agriculture, specifically a shift from citrus to oil palm.
“Our oranges have no homogeneity-Valencia, Ibadan Sweet, Washington. So, a factory cannot get a uniform concentrate. And we don’t even have enough oranges. In one or two months, a factory would consume all we have in Konshisha, Ushongo, Buruku, and Vandeikya,” he explained.
The alternative, he said, is the “Alia Palm Project.” He disclosed that last year, his team distributed 3,000 oil palm seedlings in Buruku and 150,000 seedlings across the state to churches, schools, the military, police, journalists, and other groups. According to him this year, 65,000 seedlings, 5,000 per ward, will be distributed in Buruku to make the local government a demonstration hub for palm oil production.
“If you dress it and keep it well, one hybrid tree can yield at least 20 litres of oil per harvest. Harvest twice a year, that’s 40 litres. At current prices, that’s about 80,000 naira per tree annually. That is wealth for our mothers and retirees,” he said.
To address the three-year gestation period of oil palm, Addingi said he is planting plantain suckers along the banks of all streams in Buruku this year. “In eight months, they will begin to harvest while they wait for the oil palm. I want to create wealth. Buruku is very backward.”
Lamenting the dearth of professionals in Buruku, Addingi announced plans to equip four secondary schools with full biology, physics, and chemistry laboratories, funded by his partners in China. He added that the programme will also introduce Mandarin language courses to position students for scholarships in China.
“Information is knowledge. With HSC in Mandarin, our children can apply for science scholarships in China. In 20 to 30 years, when we talk about engineers, doctors, and IT experts, Buruku will be mentioned,” he said.
He further disclosed that training for 5,000 youths in digital entrepreneurship and digital skills would commence on Monday. “Money is in the air. Once you understand entrepreneurship and digital skills, you can earn. This is what I’m putting on ground for my people.”
A zoning analysis of Buruku Federal Constituency from 1952 to 2027 as presented by Hon. Addingi reveals that Mbalagh has held the seat for the longest period, with 21 years and 11 months. Mbatie follows with 10 years and 11 months, while Mbagen accounts for about 9 years and 4 months. Amber has had the shortest tenure at 4 years.
His report also shows a clear bloc imbalance: Tombo, made up of Mbalagh and Mbatie, has held the seat for a combined 32 years and 10 months, compared to just 9 years and 4 months for the Nyamatsor bloc of Mbagen and Amber.
He argued that fairness demands the next House of Representatives slot go to Amber, which has held the seat for four years compared to others with several years.
He criticised the “winner-takes-all” culture, noting that he has profiled over 20 young, brilliant aspirants from the constituency and intends to recommend them for other positions regardless of who wins. “When they lose, they go into oblivion. I want to depart from that. If I win, they win.”
He added that his consultations across Buruku, from Mbaade to Mbatyough, Mbaya to Mbaakura, have produced a documented needs assessment for the governor. “The governor does not need to go to Buruku to know our challenges. Everything is captured. Water, broken boreholes, I have already repaired two. I have been giving my people services, whether I am in the House or not.”
Addingi concluded that his ambition is legacy-driven. “I am too old to start looking for money to build mansions. I want to leave a legacy. I am focused on building my people.”
In his remarks, Benue NUJ Chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, commended Hon. Addingi for his partnership with the union. He said journalists are deeply involved in the electoral process and assured that the media would continue to play its role, while appealing to the political class to ensure campaigns remain issue-based.
