By Austin Angwe, Makurdi
Group under the auspices of One Benue has expressed confidence that the One Benue Concert and Exhibition, expected to be an annual project put together by the group will promote commerce, showcase natural resources available, provide job opportunities, offer an avenue to young entrepreneurs and artists to showcase their talents, creativity, ingenuity and capacity to add value to the state and country.
Addressing a press conference to unveil activities lined up for the maiden edition of a project tagged: One Benue Concert and Exhibition held Wednesday, at the NUJ House Makurdi, convener of the group, Lawrence Kyuka, said the concert scheduled to commence on April 18 at the IBB Square, Makurdi, is intended to listen to voices of content creators, professionals in different fields, stakeholders such as the private sector, government, traditional rulers, religious leaders and the media, especially those who participated at a one-day conference they had organised February 3 this year.
He recalled that the One Benue Conference whose discuss centered primarily on how to revive the consciousness of Benue people as one family also emphasized the need for Benue people to remain united, cooperative as well as tolerate and embrace one another for the state to move forward, explaining that the One Benue Concert and Exhibition have been expanded in such a way that speakers would be addressing the world.
He said different participants at the concert will tell the world about the true peaceful, loving, hospitable and accommodating story of Benue people.
“So, I don’t want to call the programme just a concert but an advocacy, because it will showcase great advocacies, I won’t call them performances, rather advocacies from different professionals such as comedians, music artists and the media” Kyuka stated, disclosing that the event will kick starts Friday April 18 at the IBB square.
The One Benue project convener revealed that during the period, intervals will be allocated to participants to man the stage and contributes in their professional languages what the concept One Benue truly stands for in order to change the negatives narrative about the state in the eyes of the world.
Kyuka also told journalists that apart from the concert, the occasion will witness an array of display of products, goods and services as well as display of natural resources from the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, adding that showcasing such products to the world will attract genuine and credible investors, business men and women to Benue with the aim of adding value to the state.
He itemized other benefits of the project to include providing job opportunities in order to make life better and meaningful to the people, expressing appreciation to journalists for their prompt response to their call and described the action as true demonstration of concern for the state.
