Benue Govt, GreenPlinth Africa Seal Deal To Distribute 2m Clean Cookstoves, Plant 100m Trees

The Benue State government has signed i a major green economy partnership with GreenPlinth Africa, which officials described as one of the largest environmental investments in the state’s history.

The agreement was secured by Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, and formally signed on March 3, 2026 with Memorandum of Agreement establishing a strategic collaboration aimed at promoting environmental sustainability, economic empowerment, and climate action across the state.

The project, known as Strategic Partnership for Green Economy and Greening Initiatives, will focus on the deployment of clean cookstoves and extensive tree planting and nurturing in Benue.

The initiative is officially registered under the Global Climate Action Portal of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, making it part of a global effort to address climate change and promote environmentally responsible development.

As part of the programme, two million improved clean cookstoves will be distributed free to households across the state, particularly targeting women, low-income earners, and vulnerable families.

The improved stoves are designed to drastically reduce the dependence on traditional firewood for cooking, cutting usage by as much as 80 to 90 percent, a development, officials say will help reduce indoor air pollution, which is a major cause of respiratory illnesses among women and children who spend long hours around cooking fires.

The partnership also includes an ambitious environmental restoration effort involving the planting and nurturing of 100 million economic trees across the state’s three senatorial districts with a tree-planting campaign expected to contribute to environmental protection, reduce the effects of deforestation, and provide economic opportunities through the cultivation of valuable tree crops.

In addition to its environmental goals, the programme is expected to create employment opportunities for young people and women across the state as participants in the initiative will benefit from skills acquisition programmes and other empowerment opportunities.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the event on March 5, the deputy governor, Sam Ode, described the agreement as “an opportunity for Benue State to benefit from both immediate and long-term environmental and economic gains”, noting that “the state had already demonstrated its commitment to the project by sending a high-level delegation to the signing event and by taking concrete steps toward implementing the agreement”.

Members of the Benue delegation included Dr Aondofa Daniel Mailumo, director- general of the Benue State Council on Climate Change; Donald Aorkwagh Akule, managing director and chief executive officer of the Benue Agricultural Development Company; Barr Thomas Ese, the solicitor-general and permanent secretary representing the Ministry of Justice; and Terhemen Genera Ishom, a Board of Trustees member and coordinator of the AliaVest Foundation.

Dr. Mailumo, who received the Green Icon Award on behalf of the governor, said the state is “actively working to align with global, national, and sub-national climate policies through the activities of the Benue State Council on Climate Change as the state’s participation in the project demonstrates a strong commitment to implementing climate action initiatives that will benefit both the environment and local communities.”

In his remarks, the managing director of the Benue Agricultural Development Company, Donald Aorkwagh Akule, emphasised the critical role of agriculture in climate-related economic development and described agriculture as the “climate economic engine,” noting that climate-smart agricultural practices would play a crucial role in the future of sustainable development.

According to him, “the company, serving as the implementation partner, has already begun making significant progress toward ensuring that the terms of the agreement are implemented across the three senatorial zones of the state.”

Beneficiary households will also receive a monthly payment of N10,000 as part of the programme’s support structure as the project is poised to further provides free enrollment into the National Health Insurance Scheme, ensuring that participating households have access to basic health insurance services.

Government officials say the partnership will also contribute significantly to the state’s internally generated revenue through several economic initiatives connected to the programme with plans including the establishment of a modern factory for the production of clean cookstoves within the state as well as waste-to-wealth projects that will recycle agricultural waste into useful products.