Benue

Benue State, in central Nigeria, is named after the Benue River, which flows through its territory towards its confluence with the Niger at Lokoja, and is widely known within Nigeria as a major producer of yam and other staple crops, giving rise to its nickname, the "Food Basket of the Nation". The state's population is composed principally of the Tiv, Nigeria's largest single middle-belt ethnic group, alongside the Idoma, Igede and smaller groups such as the Etulo. Its capital, Makurdi, sits on the Benue River and serves as the state's main commercial and administrative centre. Benue has in recent decades experienced recurring violent clashes between farming communities and herders over land and grazing, a source of serious humanitarian concern that affects several of its local government areas.

The Tiv people are believed to have migrated into the Benue valley from further south over several centuries, developing a decentralised, lineage-based political system without a single overarching monarchy, organised instead around clan and kindred structures. The Idoma, in the southern part of the state, developed a somewhat more centralised chieftaincy tradition, with the Och'Idoma as a recognised paramount ruler. The area came under British colonial administration in the early twentieth century as part of Benue Province, within the wider Northern Nigeria protectorate, with indirect rule adapting uneasily to Tiv political structures that lacked centralised chiefs. Benue State was created in February 1976 from parts of the former Benue-Plateau State, taking its name from the river. In recent decades the state has experienced significant and recurring violence between farming communities and predominantly Fulani herders, driven by competition over land, water and grazing routes, compounded by population growth and shifting climate and migration patterns, which has caused significant displacement in parts of the state.

Benue State lies in central Nigeria, bordered by Nasarawa State to the north, Taraba State to the east, Cross River State to the south, Kogi and Enugu states to the west, and an international border with Cameroon to the south-east. The Benue River, Nigeria's second-largest river after the Niger, runs through the state from east to west before continuing towards Lokoja, and its floodplain provides fertile alluvial soils that support extensive farming. The terrain includes low-lying river plains as well as higher ground in parts of the south and east. The climate is tropical, with a wet season from around April to October during which the Benue River rises significantly, at times causing flooding in low-lying riverside communities, and a drier season for the remainder of the year.

Agriculture is the dominant economic activity in Benue State, which is one of Nigeria's leading producers of yam, alongside significant cultivation of soybeans, rice, cassava, sesame and citrus fruits, supported by the fertile floodplain of the Benue River. Makurdi and other towns serve as major markets for the trade of these staples both within Nigeria and for export in the case of crops such as sesame and soybeans. Fishing takes place along the Benue River and its tributaries. The state hosts agro-processing facilities aimed at staple crops, and Benue's agricultural output has made it an important supplier to markets in other parts of Nigeria. Recurring farmer-herder violence in parts of the state has at times disrupted farming activity and displaced communities, affecting agricultural output in the areas concerned.