Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in the 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 and was among the seven states created at that time. The state derives its name from the Benue River initially called Ber-nor, a compound word in Tiv language which means river or lake of hippopotamus the name Ber-nor was corrupted to BENUE by colonial masters, the river is the second largest river in Nigeria after the River Niger. The state borders Nasarawa State to the North; Taraba State to the East; Kogi State to the West; Enugu State to the South-West; Ebonyi and Cross-Rivers State to the South; and has an international border with Cameroon to the South-East. It is inhabited predominantly by the Tiv, Idoma and Igede people. Minority ethnic groups in Benue are Etulo, Igbo, hausa and Jukun people etc. Its capital is Makurdi. Benue is a rich agricultural region; common crops cultivated in the state include oranges, yams, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax, sesame, rice, groundnuts and palm trees.
Tiv is a Tivoid language spoken in some states in North Central Nigeria, with some speakers in Cameroon. It had over 5.2 million speakers in 2024. The largest population of Tiv speakers are found in Benue state in Nigeria. The language is also widely spoken in some Nigerian states namely, Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, Cross River, Adamawa, Kaduna, and Abuja. It is by far the largest of the Tivoid languages, a group of languages belonging to the Southern Bantoid languages.
Tiv are a Bantu ethnic group. They constitute approximately 2.4% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv language is spoken by over 5 million people in Nigeria, with a few speakers in Cameroon. Most of the language's Nigerian speakers are found in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau, Cross rivers, Adamawa, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The language is a branch of Benue–Congo and ultimately of the Niger–Congo phylum. In pre-colonial times, the Fulani ethnic group referred to the Tiv as "Munchi", a term not accepted by the Tiv people.
Makurdi is the capital of Benue State, located in central Nigeria, and part of the Middle Belt region of central Nigeria. The city is situated along the Benue River. In 2017, Makurdi's urban population was 517,342.
Gboko is a Local Government Area in Benue state, North-central Nigeria. It is headquartered in the town of Gboko.
The FederalUniversity of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAM) renamed Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State is a higher education institution in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
Aper Aku (1938–1988) was elected governor of Benue State, Nigeria in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, he left office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.
Benue State University is a state-owned university in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. In 2006, student enrollment was over 19,000 served by 7 faculties and 23 departments. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs with a catalogue of over 58 graduate programs across 9 colleges/faculties. It is accredited by the National Universities Commission. The current Vice-chancellor of Benue State University is Professor Prof. Tor Iorapuu, who took over from Professor Msugh Moses Kembe on 3 November 2020.
Professor Jerry Agada was a Nigerian educationist, scholar, author, Chairman Benue State Civil Service Commission, former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), the first Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, in Central Nigeria, the vice-chairman of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko and former minister of state for Education of the Federal republic of Nigeria. He is known for writings with the publication of his first book, The Magic year – poetry in prose and rhymes in 1996 and has since followed that book up with another one in 1998, The Secret Deal, which is a collection of stories, Rage and Tears, Orokam: A Roadmap for Socio-Economic & Political Advancement, Holy Land: Encounters and Symbolism and Web of Convictions. He's a multi award-winning writer, he bagged the award of the Academic Person of the year 2016 by Idoma Governor Support Group and the best author by Association of Nigerian Authors.
Eno James Ibanga is a Nigerian academic. He is a professor of solid state physics/materials science. He serves as the Vice Chancellor for Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU). On 3 August 2020, His Excellency Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel appointed Professor Eno James Ibanga as commissioner in the state ministry works & Fire service. He is married and blessed with children.
Msugh Moses Kembe is an academic and the 5th substantive Vice chancellor of Benue State University. He was appointed by Benue state governor Dr. Samuel Ortom and assumed office on November 3, 2015.
Dickson Dominic Tarkighir is a Nigerian politician. He is a member of the 10th Nigeria National Assembly of the Nigerian House of Representatives representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency. He was also a member of the 8th National Assembly and a member of the ECOWAS parliament.
Tor Tiv also known as Begha U Tiv is the supreme traditional ruler / King / Monarch of the Tiv people. The stool was established in 1946 by the British colonial administration after they created the Tiv Central Council. Tor Tiv is the symbol of unity of the Tiv people. The seat is located in Gboko. The Tor Tiv is the head of Ijirtamen also known as the Tiv Traditional Council (TTC), the highest policy-making body in charge of the Tiv people. It comprises all the chiefs in Tiv land. The council sits at least once in a year. The Tor Tiv, according to Tiv tradition, arbitrates disputes among Tiv people without impartiality, irrespective of economic, political and social status of the parties to a dispute.
His Royal Majesty, Begha U Tiv, Orchivirigh Dr. Alfred Akawe Torkula, was the fourth Tor Tiv, the supreme ruler of the Tiv people and Chairman of the Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers. He ascended the throne on the principle of rotation (ya na angbian) among the two sons of Tiv, Ichongu and Ipusu. He was a Ihyarev man and son of Ichongo, and became the 2nd Tor Tiv to have come from the Ichongo extraction. He ruled from 14 January 1991 to 22 November 2015.
The Benue State House of Assembly is the legislative arm of the government of Benue State of Nigeria. It is a unicameral legislature with 32 members elected from the 23 local government areas of the state. This makes the number of legislators in the Benue State House of Assembly 32.
Iyorwuese Harry Hagher, is a Nigerian professor of theatre for development, playwright, poet, politician administrator and activist for social justice. He was a senator, cabinet minister, envoy and pro-chancellor of Afe Babalola University. He is renowned for his groundbreaking research on Kwagh-Hir theatre, which was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2019. Hagher is passionate about the issue of leadership. His plays are preoccupied with the search for true leadership and other solutions to Africa's socio-political problems. He is known to have engaged cultural diplomacy as a tool for foreign relations while serving as Nigeria's Ambassador to Mexico, and later High Commissioner to Canada. In 2019, he was a presidential aspirant, under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He is currently the president, African Leadership Institute, Dayton, Ohio, United States.
The 2019 Benue State House of Assembly election was held on March 9, 2019, to elect members of the Benue State House of Assembly in Nigeria. All the 30 seats were up for election in the Benue State House of Assembly.
Tor Anthony Kwembe, a Tiv-American diaspora mathematician, is a professor of mathematics and statistical sciences and a scholar at Jackson State University (JSU) in Jackson, Mississippi, US.
His Royal Majesty, Begha U Tiv, Orchivirigh, Makir Zakpe was the first Tor Tiv, who ruled from September 19, 1946, to October 11, 1956.
