- The Benue State government dismissed the GGRI ranking as misleading, stressing that it relied on unofficial data without proper context.
- Officials highlighted major achievements under Governor Alia, including the recruitment of 9,700 teachers, new roads, and healthcare upgrades.
- The government emphasized improvements in agriculture, citing farm input support, youth-focused programmes, and smallholder initiatives.
- Security efforts were noted with the creation of Operation Anyam Nyor and Civil Protection Guards to strengthen intelligence and maintain peace.
The Benue State government has rejected the recent ranking by the UK-based Good Governance Rating Index (GGRI), which listed the state among Nigeria’s three worst governed alongside Zamfara and Kwara.
In its assessment, GGRI pointed to poor rural infrastructure, failing schools and hospitals, rising insecurity, corruption, and economic stagnation as reasons for the low rating.
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However, in a statement on Tuesday, Chief Solomon Iorpev, Technical Adviser on Media and Strategic Communications to Governor Hyacinth Alia, described the ranking as “fundamentally flawed and misleading.” He argued that the assessment was based on unofficial data and ignored the realities on the ground.
According to him, despite challenges, the Alia administration has made notable progress. He explained that while security was a key GGRI metric, the state government has limited control since it remains largely a federal responsibility.
Iorpev pointed to major achievements under the current administration. These include the recruitment of 9,700 teachers to strengthen education, the establishment of a cancer treatment centre at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, and the construction of nearly 390 kilometres of roads across the 23 local government areas.
He further noted ongoing revitalisation of hospitals, improvement of primary healthcare facilities, and government support for medical workers and students. In education, new storey buildings have been built in government primary schools, scholarships awarded to top-performing students, and programmes promoted to encourage girl-child education.
Infrastructure efforts include the renovation of key state buildings, solar-powered street lighting, and underpasses to ease traffic.
The government is also reviving state-owned enterprises and creating new ones, including a nails factory, bread and water factories, and a juice plant to stimulate the economy.
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On agriculture, Iorpev highlighted the Smallholder Farmer Outgrower Programme, alongside the distribution of inputs and youth empowerment schemes to boost food production and create jobs.
Security measures were also stressed, including the creation of Operation Anyam Nyor and the Civil Protection Guards, supported with vehicles and motorcycles to aid intelligence and peacekeeping.
The Benue government insists that these initiatives show governance in the state is improving, contrary to the picture painted by the GGRI report.
