By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
The Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Commodity Exchange (NCX) to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance structured commodity trading in Benue State.
The collaboration, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), followed a three-day roundtable engagement and inspection tour of BIPC-operated warehouses, agro-processing industries, and farms.
The exercise involved NCX officials, members of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), cooperative groups, and other key stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.
Under the agreement, both parties will establish a Benue State Commodity Aggregation and Trading Hub to promote organized commodity markets, strengthen the warehouse receipt system, and build farmers’ capacity for improved productivity, market access, and pricing transparency.
The NCX is expected to open an office in Benue State, list Benue-produced commodities on its trading platform, and manage warehouse operations for both local and export trade while BIPC will, in turn, organise farmers into cooperatives, secure cultivation land, provide extension services, and develop modern storage infrastructure across the state.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, BIPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, said the partnership marks a significant step toward transforming Benue’s agricultural economy.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and boost exports.
Managing Director and CEO of NCX, Anthony Atuche, described Benue as the anchor state for the Exchange’s North Central Commodity Pilot Program, assuring full implementation of the agreement.
“We have seen firsthand that Benue is truly the food basket of the nation. This partnership will help farmers gain better income, access broader markets, and trade competitively,” he said.
Representatives of farmer groups, including AFAN State Secretary Prof. Godwin Timinun, Youth Leader Ahen Akawe, and Manasseh Torsue, pledged full cooperation, describing the initiative as timely and transformative.
The BIPC officials, including Head of Business Development and Strategy Theresa Abeda, Company Secretary Josephath Ioryoosu, and Chief Risk Officer Andrew Simon, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to policies that eliminate post-harvest losses and strengthen the agricultural value chain.
