By Aondofa Antyever
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Benue State Coordinating Office, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing agro-industrial development in Benue State through a working visit to the Benue State Investment Promotion Agency (BENIPA) in Makurdi.
The delegation, led by the State Coordinator, Mrs. Jessica Iveren Abel-Ugbir, paid the visit on 1st December, 2025, and was received by the Executive Secretary of BENIPA, Mr. Terhemen John Paul Kpenkaan.
Following the introduction of RMRDC staff, Mrs. Abel-Ugbir expressed appreciation to BENIPA for its sustained collaboration with the Council, particularly in organizing investor forums across the state. She cited the recent forum on citrus value chain development as a notable example of the productive partnership between both institutions.
She explained that the purpose of the visit was to obtain updates on the implementation of recommendations from the Investor Forum on Beekeeping held in July 2024, aimed at creating an enabling environment for investors in honey production. According to her, effective implementation of these recommendations would stimulate wealth creation, enhance value addition, and contribute meaningfully to Benue State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
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In his response, Mr. Kpenkaan commended RMRDC for its proactive role in promoting investment and industrial development in the state. He emphasized the need for capacity building for apiculture farmers, particularly in basic honey production and quality assurance techniques. He disclosed that an estimated two billion dollars’ worth of honey products imported into Nigeria are counterfeit, a situation he described as alarming and indicative of the urgent need to strengthen local apiculture production in Benue State and across the country.
Mr. Kpenkaan challenged RMRDC to adopt a more strategic and coordinated approach to apiculture development, given the sector’s strong potential for value addition. He encouraged the Council to attract credible investors, support the formulation of enabling policies, and engage financial institutions such as the Bank of Industry (BoI) to enhance honey value addition in the state.
Responding, Mrs. Abel-Ugbir informed BENIPA that RMRDC is developing a training programme in collaboration with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to train at least 20 individuals in each of the 23 local government areas of Benue State. The programme, she said, is designed to boost local capacity in apiculture and related value chains.
Also speaking, Engr. Sunday Durven, Senior Scientific Officer at RMRDC, highlighted Benue State’s vast apiculture potential, noting that the state has the capacity to produce over 500,000 litres of honey daily if fully harnessed.
The Executive Secretary further urged RMRDC to develop comprehensive investment frameworks not only for honey production but also for other commodities where Benue State enjoys comparative advantage. He cited soybeans as a key example, revealing that investors have indicated readiness to acquire land to cultivate improved soybean varieties with the intention of reviving Taraku Mills Limited.
He also stressed the importance of distributing improved seedlings to farmers to ensure steady agro-raw material supply for industrialization. Mr. Kpenkaan informed the RMRDC of plans by the Benue State Government to establish 23 industrial parks across the state and encouraged the Council to continue championing the Director-General of RMRDC Prof. Nnanyelugo’s vision for industrialization.
Mrs. Abel-Ugbir assured BENIPA that she would liaise with the Director of the State Industrial Extension Department within the week to facilitate a visit by BENIPA officials to RMRDC pilot plants in Abuja within the month of December 2025.
The visit recorded key outcomes, including plans to conduct investment-focused training for apiculture farmers in the first quarter of 2026 and a scheduled visit by BENIPA officials to RMRDC pilot plants in Abuja later in December 2025.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Terhemen John Paul Kpenkaan expressed appreciation to the RMRDC Benue State Coordinating Office for the productive engagement, describing the visit as timely and strategic for accelerating investment-led industrial development in Benue State.
