Benue State Council for Arts and Culture

CULTURAL VARIETY NIGHT 5.0




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It was a beautiful moment of cultural exchange — with a rich display of traditional dances and an exchange of local cuisines between the Jukun people and the diverse ethnic groups of Benue State.

Beyond the music and food, the message was clear: unity, shared heritage, and collective progress. Our cultures may be diverse, but our strength lies in our connection.

Be Magnanimous in Victory and a Vibrant Cultural Ambassador for the State, Dr Ukuma Charges Carnival Queen.

Director General Bureau for Arts, Culture, and Tourism, Makurdi, Dr Shadrach Teryila Ukuma, has charged the winner of the 2025 Benue youth carnival queen contest to be noble in victory, and industrious in projecting the cultural heritage of the state.

Dr. Ukuma made the call when he hosted the organisers of the Benue Youth Cultural Carnival at the premises of the Bureau. He assured the carnival queen of the Bureau's support and commitment to the project while calling on her to be a good cultural ambassador of the state, adding that she carried the weight and aspirations of many youth who will look up to her crown as their role model.

The Director General, while appreciating Benue State Government for the sponsorship of the event as well as the organisers, Gee-lo events said the carnival was indeed an avenue to bridge the gap between the dwindling fortunes of our culture and the youth while inculcating cultural values in them that would transcend generations. He emphasised the vision of the Bureau, which is anchored on the harnessing, preservation, and promotion of the plethora of art, culture, and tourism aspects of the state to attract investments to the benefit of the state.

In a remark, the carnival queen, Miss Zapaseve Susan Ngusha, thanked gee-lo events for giving her the platform to excel and showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state, while commending the efforts of the state government through sponsorship.

Queen Ngusha called on other contestants to close ranks with her to support her pet project which entails the promotion of the art and culture, and tourism potentialsof the state, catering for the under-served members of our communities, and to train at least, 50 girls in beauty and cosmetolology.

The highlight of the visit was the presentation of the Star Prize, a Hyundai Elantra vehicle, to the carnival queen following her triumph during the carnival by the DG of the Bureau.

Saaniyol Ezekiel Akiga
Chief Information Officer.

Career Service Centre Seeks Collaboration With BACT to Enhance Prospects for Students.

In a bid to pursue the mandate, establishing the Career Service Centre at the Reverend Father Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi, which hinges on developing and training students to acquire requisite skills away from from their spheres of studies in the university while also working, the leadership of the Centre paid a courtesy call on the Director General of Bureau for Arts, Culture, and Tourism, Makurdi to Intimate him on workings of the Centre.

Director of the Centre, Professor Paulina Ada Akpa, said the Centre is a hub for developing, training, counselling, mentoring, and preparing students for career training aside from the courses they are studying while in school. She noted that the Centre, which was newly established, is to cater to the needs of students with innovations and aspirations, adding that the Centre offers programmes in career orientation and counselling, training workshops, consultancy, research, monitoring and evaluation, as well as collaboration for practical career engagements which include internships and volunteering, mentoring and networking with Alumni agencies and industries.

Professor Akpa disclosed that it was in line with the vision and mission of the Centre in seeking practical solutions that they sought partnership with the Bureau to enable their students to boost performance, enhance their creativity, employability, and entrepreneurship skills which she believes would bridge the gap between education and unemployment especially for those in the humanities and administration.

In response, Director General of the Bureau, Dr Shadrach Teryila Ukuma, was appreciative of the visit by the Centre leadership, saying that it was one of his cardinal objectives to expand the frontiers of the Bureau to accommodate undergraduates to expand their knowledge beyond the classroom by offering them opportunities to acquire skills beyond their competencies which would create room for their employability given their vast exposure to skills.

While expressing enthusiasm and readiness in the partnership, Dr Ukuma said the Bureau was open to initiatives that will drive sustainable development in terms of wealth building, livelihood enhancement, employment generation, which the arts, culture, and tourism offers vast opportunities with the state having abundance of talents and festivals waiting to be explored which he is working tirelessly leverage.

Dr Ukuma assured the Director of the Centre of his desire to pursue strategic collaborations with them to deliver results that would be beneficial to the students to spur creative and entrepreneurial ideas, while also embarking on trainings for tourism operations, destination management and branding, art and crafts exhibitions, festival management, digital content creating, cultural conservation and documentation, as well as hospitality services with agencies they supervise. These, he believes, will foster strong alignment between the Bureau and the Centre and present clear openings for collaboration for structured internships and a solid ground for mentorship, mindset shifts, nurturing talents, unlocking opportunities, that will attract investments to the State thereby making it a competitive destination for culture-led development.

Saaniyol Ezekiel Akiga
Chief Information Officer

Dr Ukuma Hosts Youth Corps Members, Tasks Them To Take Advantage of The Flourishing Creative Space in the State.

In line with maintaining a healthy interorganisational relationship between the Bureau for Arts, Culture, and Tourism, with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC in the state, the Director General, Dr Shadrach Teryila Ukuma says, the Bureau is poised to achieve greater heights through collaborative efforts that will achieve practical results with the NYSC.

Dr Ukuma disclosed this when he received the audience, members of the Culture and Tourism Community Development Service group of the NYSC. He said he was convinced of the track record of the scheme, which has unified young Nigerian graduates for over five decades after the Civil War with impactful community outreaches by Corps Members, which Benue has benefited from.

While being enthusiastic to partner with the scheme, he charged the Corps Members to leverage the creative and cultural entrepreneurship space available to them where talents could be groomed through skills acquisition in event management and branding, cultural conservation, heritage documentation and archiving, and many more which will serve as a source of knowledge and income for them, while presenting cultural content without bias to change the wrong narratives presented as they dwell within the communities.

The Director General, while urging them to be good ambassadors of the scheme, encouraged them to delve into the cultural splendour of the state through attending and participating in the Bureau's monthly variety show which holds every last Friday of the month with an avow to use Corps Members with required competencies at national events.

Earlier, President of the Culture and Tourism Community Development Service group, Chukwudi Victor Ezeanofu, said they were on the visit to congratulate Dr Ukuma on his appointment and familiarise themselves with him as well as to forge synergy in their operations.

In the same vein, Supervisor of the CDS Faith Yaasa, thanked the DG for hosting them within the premises as well as the arena alloted them to hold their weekly activity. She appealed for a dance instructor to be assigned to them as well as an office space to keep their costumes and musical instruments.

In a closing remark, Director of Administration and Supply, Mrs Lucy Boor said, the Director General has approved an office space for their use as well as a dance instructor assigned to them. She charged them to integrate and take advantage of the cultural and tourism aspects of the state with the firm assurances of a harmonious working relationship.

Saaniyol Ezekiel Akiga
Chief Information Officer.

Atilogwu dance, is a high octane performance with the combination of rhythmic steps and nimble acrobatics. The igbo art was also on display during the variety night show.

The first edition of our 2026 cultural variety show series beckons. Keep a date with us.

Go Forth, Be Our Ambassador, and Conquer. Friends and Associates Admonished Dr Ukuma.

It was a glorious moment when a group of friends and associates converged at the Senior Staff Club of the Reverend Father Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi to celebrate one of theirs, Dr Shadrach Teryila Ukuma, on his appointment as the Director General Bureau for Arts,Culture, and Tourism, Makurdi by the Executive Governor of the State Reverend Father Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia.

The event was held on Saturday, the 29th of November 2025, and witnessed a constellation of guests across social strata, which included members of the academia, government appointees, as well as staff of the Bureau.

Notable were Prof. Barnabas Achakpa Ikyo, from National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Abuja, Dr. Tordue Nyitse, a Director with the National Assembly, Mr. Harris Igba, an Abuja based Chattered Accountant and Tax Consultant, Mr. Alexander Atsuku of UBA Makurdi, Dr. Kamnan Moses Adule, a Senior Lecturer at Federal University of Wukari, Aondoaseer Leonard -Angelo Viashima, Director General of the Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, Mr. Kpenkaan Terhemen Johnpaul, the Executive Secretary of Benue Investment Promotion Agency, and Prof. John Onah of Theatre Arts Department, Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University.

In a remark, coordinator of the group Dr. Elijah Ikpanor said it was expedient to celebrate Dr. Ukuma on this feat because the glaringness of his antecedents both in his early life, academic, and social sujourn were not unnoticed by all who came in contact with him. He added that it was these sparkling moments that endeared him to the governor, resulting in the appointment. He advised him to use his wealth of experience to turn around the fortunes of the Bureau and make an indelible mark that would stand the test of time while being their ambassador.

In his speech, Chairman of the occasion Prof. Barnabas Achakpa Ikyo appreciated Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia for finding one of them worthy to head the Bureau, saying it was apt and a square peg in a square hole.

Professor Achakpa Ikyo, who extolled the virtues of Dr. Ukuma noted his professionalism and work ethic in every task assigned to him while commending the role he has played through cultural diplomacy geared towards exporting the Benue culture to the world and at any fora he finds himself in.

Guests who spoke eulogised Dr. Ukuma on his appointment saying it was an act of providence from God having excelled in the realm of the theatre with vast hands-on experience. They advised him to be steadfast and work like a Trojan towards implementing the policies, vision, and mission of Governor Alia’s administration.

On a thankful note, Dr. Shadrach Ukuma appreciated his friends for celebrating him on his appointment with a promise to pull out all the stops in a bid to excel, while also appreciating the Governor for the privilege given to him to serve the state in that capacity. He called for prayers and support through synergy and ideas that would aid him to steer the affairs of the Bureau to the zenith.

Highlight of the occasion was the offering of prayers for the success of the DG by his friends.

The curtain opens with bokubo performance, at the 2nd edition of the cultural variety night extravaganza which is taking place at the Aminu Isah Kontagora Arts Theatre Complex, Makurdi. Join us.