FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, United States | September 2026
H.E. Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, Executive Governor of Benue State, Nigeria, has been honoured with the African Leadership Excellence Award for Agricultural Development & Rural Governance at the 2026 International Forum on African-Caribbean Leadership (IFAL), held on 24 September at the Marriott Marquis, Broadway, New York, during United Nations General Assembly week. The recognition was conferred during the forum’s Recognitions & Awards presentation, hosted by African Leadership Magazine.
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The award recognises Governor Alia’s focus on agricultural development and rural transformation in Benue State, known as Nigeria’s “Food Basket,” since taking office.
Rev. Fr. Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia was sworn in as Executive Governor of Benue State on 29 May 2023, becoming the second Roman Catholic priest to be elected governor of a Nigerian state. Ordained a priest in 1990, he holds postgraduate degrees from Fordham University and a doctorate in Biomedical Ethics from Duquesne University in the United States. His administration has prioritised rural infrastructure, feeder roads, climate-smart agriculture and market access for farmers.
IFAL is a flagship event of the African Leadership Magazine, convened annually on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. The forum brings together heads of state, policymakers, investors and private-sector leaders from Africa and the Caribbean to strengthen trans-regional cooperation, trade and investment.
Media Contact
King Richard Igimoh,
Group Editor,
African Leadership Magazine, United Kingdom | Africa
Email: editor@africanleadership.co.uk
Website: www.africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk
