Benue River, previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is a major tributary of the Niger River. The size of its catchment basin is 319,000 km2. Almost its entire length of approximately 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) is navigable during the summer months. As a result, it is an important transportation route in the regions through which it flows. The name Benue comes from Binuwe, meaning 'Mother of Waters’ in the Batta language.
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.
The Nigerian National Assembly delegation from Benue comprises three Senators representing Benue South, Benue North-East, and Benue North-West, and 11 Representatives representing Apa/Agatu, Kwande/Ushongo, Oju/Obi Vandeikya/Konshisha, Buruku, Ado/Ogbadigba/Opkokwu,Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo, Gboko/Tarka,Makurdi/Guma,Gwer/Gwer-west and Otukpo/Ohimini.
Vandeikya is a local government area in Benue State Nigeria. The capital is Vandeikya town.
Michael Kaase Aôndoakaa, SAN is Nigeria's former Justice Minister and Attorney General of the Federation in office from July 2007 to 10 February 2010.
Izzi is a North Eastern Igbo sub-group, in South Eastern, Nigeria. It is also the name of the territory in which they live - Izzi Local Government Area. They speak the Izzi dialect. Izzi is spoken majorly in Ebonyi State and some parts of Benue State. Some notable persons from Izzi include the current Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and Elias Mbam, the former Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission chairman.
Agatu is a Local Government Area of Benue State, North Central Nigeria, created in 1996. It was formerly part of the Agatu district in the old Otukpo division. The headquarters of the local government is at Obagaji. Agatu is one of nine local government areas in the southern senatorial zone of Benue State, which is mainly occupied by the Idoma people. The majority of the resident population are farmers.
Konshisha is a local government area of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Tse-Agberagba.
Kwande is a Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Adikpo.
Bassa is a Local Government Area in Kogi State, Nigeria. Its northern border is the Benue River and its western border is the Niger River. Its headquarters are in the town of Oguma.
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.
The Igede people are a Nigerian ethnic group in Benue State of Nigeria. They are native to the Oju and Obi local government areas of Nigeria, where 2006 population figures stand at an estimated 267,198 people. However, many Igede people are dispersed across the state and the Nation. For instance, the Igede language is also spoken in Nigeria's Cross River State, and many Igede communities exist in Osun State and Ogun State. The Igede language is a member of the Benue-Congo subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family.
Otank (Utanga) is a Tivoid language spoken by the Utanga group of tiv people in both Nigeria and Cameroon. It is used as a second language by Obanliku speakers.
Benue North-East senatorial district well known as zone A within Benue State covers seven local government areas which include Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Konshisha, Vandeikya, Kwande and Ushongo. There 84 electoral wards and 1,389 polling units as of 2019 election. The headquarter of Benue North-East senatorial district is Katsina-ALa. The current representative is Senator Gabriel Suswam.
Terkimbi Ikyange is a Nigerian politician who was elected speaker of the 8th session of the Benue State House of Assembly in 2015 on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC. He was impeached in 2018.
The 2023 Benue State gubernatorial election took place on 18 March 2023, to elect the governor of Benue State, concurrent with elections to the Benue State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election — which was postponed from its original 11 March date — was held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP Governor Samuel Ortom was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third term. Hyacinth Alia — a suspended Catholic priest — gained the office for the APC by a 33% margin over PDP nominee House of Assembly Speaker Titus Uba.
Terseer Ugbor is the current member, House of Representatives for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency of Benue State. He is Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Environment and also the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Students Loans in Nigeria. He is also a Member of the House Standing committees on Aviation, Petroleum Midstream, Ecological Funds, Public Procurement, Steel Development, Public Service Matters and Poverty Alleviation.
Pius Ukeyima Akutah is a Nigerian legal practitioner and public servant currently serving as the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Shippers' Council. He assumed office on October 25, 2023, succeeding Emmanuel Jime, and officially commenced his duties at the council's headquarters in Lagos on November 1, 2023.
Nigeria 
