Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has come under fire following the distribution of branded wheelbarrows to women as part of an empowerment initiative aimed at supporting small-scale traders and farmers in the state.
The wheelbarrows, marked with the slogan “Hyacinth Cares,” were presented to women involved in agriculture and petty trading, with state officials claiming the initiative was designed to ease transportation of farm produce, especially in rural communities affected by insecurity and limited mobility.
According to the government, the specially constructed wheelbarrows with steel frames and a 100-litre capacity are intended to improve productivity and economic resilience among rural women.
However, the gesture has been met with widespread backlash, with many Nigerians describing it as tone-deaf and inadequate in addressing the deeper challenges of poverty, insecurity, and lack of access to credit and modern farming tools.
Critics pointed to a similar controversy in 2017 under former Governor Samuel Ortom, when branded wheelbarrows were also handed out in the name of youth empowerment—an initiative that was heavily criticised at the time.
Calls have grown for the government to prioritise more sustainable interventions, including provision of fertilisers, improved security, better market access, and investment in mechanised agriculture.
A former Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Dan-Morgan Ihomun also condemned the initiative.
“On the wheelbarrow saga, I think the Benue State government should have rather provided fertilisers to farmers. Fertilisers are more important at these times,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the state government defended the move, linking it to the Renewed Hope Initiative spearheaded by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
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In a statement released on July 21, 2025, the Media Aide to the ALGOVC Chairman, Comrade Ngorngor Talento said the wheelbarrow distribution was part of a broader package of agricultural support, which also included farm inputs distributed by Deputy Chairman Janet Hembafan Orukuna.
Despite the defence, the controversy continues to spark public debate over what truly constitutes meaningful empowerment in one of Nigeria’s most agriculturally reliant states.
The statement read, “The Deputy Chairman of Vandeikya Local Government and Algovc Chairman Benue State Chapter, Rt. Hon. Janet Hembafan Orukuna, has successfully distributed farm inputs to beneficiaries in the local government area.
“The intervention is part of the Renewed Hope Initiative, a nationwide agricultural support programme championed by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
“The distribution took place at the Vandeikya Local Government Secretariat, where the Deputy Chairman emphasised the importance of agriculture in rural development and food security.
“She applauded the First Lady’s visionary leadership and expressed her commitment to ensuring that the initiative reaches the grassroots.
“Beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the support, describing the gesture as timely and impactful for the farming season,” he said.
