Governor Hyacinth Alia has said the Benue State Youth Development Commission will soon become operational to serve as a platform for addressing youth concerns and harnessing their potential for state development.
Speaking through the Deputy Governor, Dr. Sam Ode at the 2026 International Youth Day held at IBB Square Wednesday in Makurdi, the Governor praised the youth for their commitment to development and positioned them as collaborators in governance through innovation, farming and job creation.
Governor Alia called on young people to leverage government opportunities in skills training, agriculture, technology and politics while rejecting social vices.
Terver Gbenda, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Youth Mobilization and Chairman of the Planning Committee, noted that the celebration brought together youths across party, ethnic and religious lines. He applauded the Governor for appointing youths and training thousands in ICT, and urged them to embrace agriculture over crime.
Gbenda encouraged youths to go into agriculture, which he described as the mainstay of the state’s economy, rather than engage in thuggery and criminality.
The event, organized by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Creativity, also featured goodwill messages from student, labor and disability groups, and awards for outstanding LG chairmen, appointees, innovators and students.
