List of Natural Mineral Resources Found in Benue State

Benue state is located in the North central geo-political zone in Nigeria and has many untapped mineral resources within its territory. Also, the state is blessed with agricultural products that has seen the state’s slogan called “Food basket of the nation”.

With a population of 5 million persons within its enclave, Benue state has three tribes and languages namely Tiv, Idoma and the Igede speaking peoples. The capital of Benue is Makurdi and it is the administrative seat of the state government.

This post is on the natural resources found in Benue state currently ranging from agro-raw materials planted to the -mineral resources mined within the state.

Mineral Resources Found in Benue State

While Benue might not be the state with the highest natural resources in Nigeria, we know that this state has abundant minerals that has not been mined and can be used to develop the state.

These resources can be found in various Local Government Areas of the state. According to an online publication, Limestone which can be found at Tse-Kucha near Gboko and Kaolinite at Otukpo are the only mineral deposits that has being commercially exploited by Dangote Cement.

Below is a list of minerals that can be found in Benue state both mined and untapped resources.

• Baryte
• Feldspar
• Wolframite
• Kaolinite
• Limestone
• Gypsum
• Anhydride
• Natural Gas
• Salt
• Petroleum Oil
• Lead
• Zinc
• Barytes
• Clay
• Coal
• Calcite
• Gemstones
• Magnetite.

Agricultural Products (Natural Resources)

Benue state has one of the best agricultural sectors in Nigeria due to its rich agricultural produce and fertile soil for planting these crops.

They include:

• Yam
• Rice
• Beans
• Cassava
• Sweet-potato
• Maize
• Soybean
• Sorghum
• Millet
• Sesame
• Cocoyam
• Groundnut
• Guinea corn
• Flax
• Palm Trees

Aside farming which is the major sector of Benue state economy, they also have fishing as another source of generating income in the state. Nature has endowed this state with one of the longest rivers in Nigeria, River Benue which helps farmers for irrigation purposes during the dry season and fishermen.

Environment

Benue state is at the middle belt region of Nigeria, occupying a landmass of 34,059 square kilometres and shares boundaries with five states -Taraba, Nasarawa, Cross-River, Enugu and Kogi states respectively. There is also a common boundary with the Republic of Cameroon.

According to research and climate studies, Benue has two seasons, the rainy and the dry season. It is similar to that of Plataeu state. The rainy season starts from March and lasts till March while the dry season starts in March and ends in March.

Conclusion

It is only wise that the state government should mine other mineral resources found in the state and use it for the development of the state in general. More cement factories should be set up, coal mines, quarry companies and other plants and industries should be given the chance to eploit these deposits for the benefit of the indegenes of the state.