Benue State is a place to be on your next vacation or holiday. Even if you are not a native of the state, you could enjoy your Sallah and other celebration in the state nicknamed ‘Food Basket of the Nation’.
Benue, located in the North Central part of Nigeria is a rich agricultural region where crops such as sweet potatoes, cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax, yams, sesame, rice, groundnuts, and Palm tree are majorly grown.
You will have a nice time with the diverse ethnic groups in the state which include Tiv, Idoma, Agatu, Igede among many other tribes. The languages spoken here are English, Tiv, Idoma, Igede, and Igbo languages.
The state capital is Makurdi and there are three local governments of the state you could tour. These include Ado, Agatu, Apa, Buruku, Gboko, Guma, Gwer East, Gwer West, Katsina-Ala, Konshisha, Kwande, Logo, Makurdi, and Obi. Others are Ogbadibo, Ohimini, Oju, Okpokwu, Otukpo, Tarka, Ukum, Ushongo and Vandeikya.
Anticipate the vibes as you visit the state with some of 2baba’s Idoma-themed songs. The legendary act is one of the sons of the soil you will like to meet.
![A Travel Guide To Benue State A Travel Guide To Benue State](https://everyevery.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WhatsApp-Image-2019-08-12-at-8.50.05-AM.jpeg)
What To Bring
As the state is nicknamed ‘Food Basket of the Nation’, you’ll definitely need your credit/debit cards to make transactions. Your camera and writing pads are also important to capture images of places to visit and write down historical facts of these places.
Transportation
Benue State can be accessed by road through its neighboring states. It has Nassarawa state to the north, Taraba state to the east, Cross-River state to the south, Enugu State to the southwest, and Kogi state to the west. The state shares an international boundary with the Republic of Cameroon on the southeast. Tourists and travelers taking the air route have the Makurdi Airport as the destination.
Places to Visit
One of the best places to know about the people in the Palace of the Tor Tiv (the traditional title of the ruler), which is located in Gboko, and is the official residence of the Tiv people. The palace is rich in historical artifacts and it tells the story of the Tiv people.
The Tivs are one of the dominant ethnic groups in the state. You can learn a lot about the past ways of the earlier settlers in the area. You’ll definitely need your writing materials as you gain more insight into the cultural and traditional ways of the people, including past wars and Kings of the people.
If you really like picnicking and mountaineering or hiking, then the Anwase-Abaide Ranges is a place to be. It is located in Kwande local government area and extends into the Nigeria-Cameroon border via the Obudu-Cameroon range. Lovers of nature would like to see the natural forests, great hills, dikes, valleys, streams, and other natural formation in this area.
Ikyogen Hills is another exciting place to visit in Benue State. The aerial view on the hill is like being on top of the world. The hill is a large expanse of sprawling hills which present a fascinating sight to all visitors to the area.
There is also the Ikyogen cattle ranch developed in 1983. This provides steady grazing areas for cattle. The refreshing weather condition of the hills sustains the green vegetation all the year-round.
Aper-Aku Stadium located in Makurdi is the place to be for sports lovers. The stadium is the home ground of the state’s Football club, Lobi Stars of Makurdi. You’ll surely have fun here as you see the team on the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) action. It is also a place where you could get fit as you use the different facility in the stadium.
Make sure you see the Tiv Anger Weavers before you leave the state. Ushongo Hills, Dajo Pottery in Makurdi and the various institutions of learning are other places you could tour.
Do have a wonderful time in your stay at Benue.