Makurdi, Benue State

Benue State University​

Benue State university is our state own University located along Gboko road in Makurdi, Benue State. Founded in 1992 by Moses Adasu it boast of a student body of over 30,000 students. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs with a catalog of over 50 graduate programs across seven colleges.   Follow the link to  learn more from their website. http://portal.bsum.edu.ng/

University of Mkar

The University of Mkar is a private Christian institution established by the Universal Reformed Christian Church (URCC)  or (NKST)to make a mark in the educational landscape of the nation.  It is located Mkar, Benue State. You can follow the link to learn more about them http://www.ummportal.net

The Zaki Biam Yam  is said to be the biggest African Yam market  in Africa. It first opened in the early 60's at the Main Zaki Biam market site. However the market moved to the permanent site in 1981 and has been operating there for the past 34 plus years.

The main Market in Zaki-Biam opens every Saturday, but the International yam market is open everyday with Tuesdays and Wednesdays being the busiest days of operation.

On average, Thirty (30)  to Fifty (50)Lorries leave the market on a daily basis supplying yams all over the country and abroad. Each lorry is loaded with 10-11 thousand tubers of large yams per lorry and up to 30 thousand tubers of the smaller yams.   WOW! That's an average of 1 million yams in a day!

Tivland has a tropical subhumid climate, with two distinct seasons which are wet season and dry season. The wet season lasts for seven months is between April and October, while the dry season comes between November and March. Temperatures are generally very high during the day, particularly in March and April.

Along the river valleys, these high temperatures plus high relative humidities produce inclement/debilitating weather conditions. Makurdi, the state capital, for example, records average maximum and minimum daily temperatures of 35°C and 21°C in summer and 37°C and 16°C in winter, respectively.

 Here are some top  travel destinations in Tivland: 

 Developed into a ranch by the military government of Aper Aku in 1983, the Ikyogen hills is a large expanse of sprawling hills which present a fascinating sight to all visitors to the area.  The refreshing weather condition of the hills sustains the green vegetation all the year round.  

 The Dajo Pottery is a privately-owned pottery which has made thousands of unique potteries for local and international tourists who fancy owning fascinating pottery. The pots come in various sizes and designs and made under various conditions to preserve its uniqueness and peculiarity wherever the local work of art is taken to in the world. 

Located in Kwande local government area on Nigerian-Cameroon border and stretches adjoining the Obudu-Cameroon range, this place features temperate climate and beautiful scenery of forests, dissected hills, dozens of fast flowing streams and incised valleys. It is a beautiful place for camping, sight viewing and picnicking.

 Have you ever wanted to see the rare African manatee? Then the Katsina-Ala is the place to head out to.  The African manatee is a rare herbivorous mammals found in their natural environment close to the Katsina-Ala river.  Here you can see the Manatee in their natural habitat. It is a sight to behold for tourists and groups of visitors, and the animals responses to the presence of people is something to be see or experienced. 

 The Tor Tiv palace is located in Gboko, and is the official residence of the Tiv people. The palace is rich in historical artifacts and it tells the story and history of the Tiv people. You can also learn a lot about the past ways of the earlier settlers in the area and gain insight into the cultural and traditional way of the native folks, including past wars and kings of the people. 

 The Ushongo hills is a mountainous belt that is both refreshing to the eyes and the body. The hilly mountains spread as far as the eye can see, and it can be used for hiking, climbing, local movies, picnics, and educational activities. The climate of this area makes it a delight among the local folks and a pride of the community. 

  Tiv Anger weavers aremostly found in Kwande local government area of Tivland. Here you can see weavers who are gifted in the natural and local art of weaving.  You can see them at work when you visit or schedule an excursion for local students to know the crafts of the ancient people. Watching the weavers deal skillfully with baskets and fish-traps and other woven crafts is something that stays with tourists long after they had left Tivland. 

 Swem Hills not to be confused with the deity or symbol of religious importance "Swem" which some of the Tiv swear by. The Swem Hills are located in Kwande LGA on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, at the source of Katsina-Ala River in south-Western Cameroon.  The hills are valued for their historical linkages and are believed to be the place of origin of the Tiv people.  In actual size it is no larger than the neighbouring hills , but it is formed of one huge piece of rock. It is not wooded like other hills and little is to be seen growing on it. On top is a great round boulder, and all the vegetation there grows on the rock beneath. From a distance it looks like the tuft of hair on the crown of a man’s head. 

The tomb of the first missionaries in Tivland is located at Harga and Sai in Katsina-ala LGA. The Gospel was first proclaimed to the Tiv in 1911  by missionaries from the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa who died and were buried there.

 This border stretches adjoining the Obudu-Cameroon range features not only quasi temperate climate but also beautiful scenery of forests, dissected hills, dykes, dozens of fast flowing streams and incised valleys. It is a beautiful place for camping, sight viewing and picnicking. It is located in Kwande local government area.

The population of the Tiv people resident in Benue State are spread over fourteen (14) Local Government Areas, and in Zone A and B.

Zone A comprises of:

1. Logo Local Government Area
2. Ukum Local Government Area
3. Katsina-Ala Local Government Area
4. Ushongo Local Government Area
5. Kwande Local Government Area
6. Vandeikya Local Government Area
7. Konshisha Local Government Area

Zone ‘B’ is made up of:

1. Gboko Local Government Area
2. Tarka Local Government Area
3. Buruku Local Government Area
4. Gwer-West Local Government Area
5. Gwer Local Government Area
6. Makurdi Local Government Area, and
7. Guma Local Government Area

Note:

Nationally, the Tiv people in Nigeria who are indigenous to Benue neighboring States of Plateau, Nasarawa to the North, and Taraba to the North-East share the same cultural heritage with the Tiv people of Benue State.

Sourced from I am Benue