Benue unveils UAST Ihugh, revives Aper Aku’s dream

From the fertile cassava, sweet potato, and orange fields of Vandeikya, a new academic beacon has emerged — the Benue State Government’s University of Agriculture, Science and Technology (UAST), Ihugh.

The institution, officially launched under the leadership of Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, aims to serve as more than just a centre of learning.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Qrisstuberg M. Amua, UAST is envisioned as “a forge for ideas, a farm for innovation, and a marketplace for the future.”

Positioned in the heart of Benue’s renowned “Food Basket of the Nation,” UAST Ihugh is designed to integrate modern research, practical agriculture, and community development.

The university will serve communities across Vandeikya, Konshisha, Ushongo, Kwande, the entire Benue North-East Senatorial District, and beyond.

READ ALSO: Former Benue education commissioner sues governor’s CPS, Others for N1 Billion over alleged defamation

The project reflects the unrealised vision of Benue’s first democratically elected governor, the late Apollos Aper Aku, whose agricultural and educational development plans were interrupted by a military coup.

Governor Alia’s administration has revived that legacy, with a focus on creating “knowledge that works on the farm and is garnished in the lab, jobs that grow from lecture theatres and blossom into communities, and opportunities that keep youth at home while attracting global partnerships.”

Prof. Amua affirmed that UAST would not merely produce graduates but “graduate solutions,” emphasising that the seeds sown today will yield historic results for Benue’s economy, youth empowerment, and agricultural transformation.

“This is the dawn of a renaissance,” he said. “Governor Alia has planted the seed of Aper Aku’s dream. I am here to water them to maturity. The harvest will be history.”

With its focus on applied knowledge, agribusiness, and technological innovation, UAST Ihugh aspires to become a hub that feeds minds, fuels businesses, and transforms communities — from Ihugh to the world.