Benue State has become the second state in the country after Bayelsa to create a Ministry of Maritime and Blue Economy as part of efforts to diversify her economy.
According to the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Matthew Abo, the decision was one of many at the State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House in Makurdi.
The Correspondent reports that a Ministry is expected to enhance the state’s economic diversification and leverage its water resources, to unlock the vast maritime potential including inland waterways.
The new Benue ministry will likely focus on sustainable management and development of the state’s aquatic resources, contributing to job creation and economic growth in line with the federal government’s blue economy agenda.
Abo explained that the two-day meeting focused on other issues and was largely on follow-up actions from previous sessions, with three major items dominating the agenda.
He noted the presentation of the report by the Agricultural Inputs Verification Committee, adding that a new committee has been established to draft a white paper that will guide the implementation of the report’s recommendations.
The Council also approved the implementation of consolidated medical salaries and clinical duty allowances for staff at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and other healthcare workers across the state.
Commissioner Ortese elaborated on the development, stressing that the increasing migration of health professionals, popularly known as the “Japa syndrome,” has led to a critical shortage of manpower in the health sector.
He said the implementation of the consolidated salary structure is aimed at addressing this gap and retaining medical personnel
