Gov. Alia North-Central Governor of the Year Award on Digital Economy at the Progressive Digital Media Summit is highly significant and justifiable.

This honour is not accidental — it is the direct result of the bold and transformative digital blueprint of His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, which identifies ICT and the Digital Economy as the engine of human capital development and economic growth in Benue State.

From the onset of his administration, Gov. Alia became the first Governor Benue State to create a dedicated Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, ensuring a clear policy framework and institutional home to drive ICT innovation, e-governance, and digital inclusion and Benue State Digital Infrastructure Services Management Enforcement Agency ( BENDISMEA) to regulate and ensure compliance with government digital services first of it kind in the state with executive council approval for an executive bill on “Benue Digital Economy and E-Governance law” to strengthen the sector operationalize ICT infrastructure investment guarantee in the state. These actions are first strategically foundation for digital Economy revolution in Benue.

In 2024, He approved the establishment of the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC) as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to spearhead hard digital infrastructure, soft digital infrastructure, and digital knowledge infrastructure development as business for the state and beyond attracting additional GDP through technology. This visionary step contributed to his earlier recognition in May 2025 by IT Edge Media at the event in Lagos as one of the 50 Most Valuable Personalities in the Digital Economy in Nigeria.

Under his leadership, the Digital Benue Vision has delivered measurable, verifiable results that have positioned Benue as a national pacesetter in public sector digital transformation. His Excellency personally supervised and approved strategic partnership agreements between BDIC and Huawei Technologies Ltd, Galaxy Backbone Limited (a Federal Government-owned IT company), and other key industry players. He visited their facilities both in Nigeria and China to accelerate Benue’s digital infrastructure deployment — infrastructure which is already operational in the State.

With his approval, BDIC launched the One Student, One Digital Skill, One Computer Project in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for implementation in Benue, alongside support for the Domestication of the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) in the State

. Additional partnerships approved by His Excellency include:

• BDIC & Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) – a Federal Government Digital Skills Training Institute.
• BDIC & Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Abuja – for digital privacy and compliance training.
• BDIC & Galaxy Backbone Limited – for secure connectivity and cloud infrastructure.

On 24th March 2024, His Excellency hosted all these partners to a State Dinner at his personal invitation, giving them 100% assurance of the Benue State Government’s commitment to full digital transformation.

Notable Digital Achievements under Gov. Alia include:

• Benue State Government Electronic Document Management System for all MDAs — eliminating paper waste and increasing efficiency with hard and soft infrastructure provision
• Paperless Executive Council Management System with iPad Gen 11 provided to all Executive Council members.
• Electronic Land Administration Portal enabling online applications, payments, and title processing.
• Fiber optic deployment across 19 MDAs through the BDIC–Galaxy Backbone-Huawei Technologies partnership.
• Manufacturing and SONCAP Certification of BDIC-branded computers with 100% State Government backing ready for launch.
• Training of 40,000 civil servants across state and local governments on digital governance, cybersecurity, and data privacy ongoing at Benue Public Service Institute through BDIC-Nigeria Data Protection Commission ( NDPC)
• Training of 10,000 youths on cutting-edge digital skills for global competitiveness.
• Benue State Citizens/Residents Identity Management System for integrated service delivery.
• Digital healthcare systems linking health facilities for better service and data management.
• Civil Service Management Portal and E-Pension System for faster, transparent HR and pension processes.
• Benue Startups Support Portal for innovation and entrepreneurship development.
• Approval for 276 e-commerce hubs across the State for market expansion.
• Mandatory Digital Skills & Coding Curriculum introduced in schools, piloted in 15 institutions.
• e-Emergency Response System by Benue SEMA and drone surveillance over high-security-risk areas.
• Approval and licensing of Benue Education Television by the NBC to introduce for free, inclusive e-learning.
• Integrated Tax Registration Portal for BIRS — a first in State history.
• Deployment of modular servers & backup power in 10 MDAs with Huawei Technologies
• Benue Artisans Marketplace Portal for registration, certification, and global market access.
• Launch of the Benue State E-Parliament System with iPads for all Honourable Members of the 10th Assembly — a first in Northern Nigeria.
• Summer Tech Bootcamp for Children (ages 5+) at BDIC HQ — nurturing tomorrow’s innovators.

. Approval for the BDIC take-over and management of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) intervention projects on ICT and digital literacy in Benue State to ensure sustainability

These initiatives have already introduced 48 new digital services across government, with targeted annual revenue generation of ₦53 billion, while directly and indirectly creating over 100,000 new jobs in the ICT ecosystem in next three years.

Every achievement listed is verifiable and open to public inspection. The BDIC, under the leadership of its Managing Director/CEO, is ready to welcome “doubting Thomases” to see, touch, and experience the reality of Digital Benue.

Today, the Benue State Digital Economy is operating in its second year with the speed and impact of a 10-year-old ecosystem — a direct product of the Governor’s bold vision, strategic partnerships, and uncompromising commitment to innovation.

Gov. Alia’s record leaves no doubt: his vision, execution, and measurable outcomes in digital transformation have made him a credible and deserving recipient of the North-Central Governor of the Year Award.

He has not only positioned Benue as a digital leader in Nigeria but also laid the foundation for inclusive economic growth, youth empowerment, and a smarter government.