Benue is a state in east-central
Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in
1991, named after the famous river Benue. The state is composed of 23 local governments and major languages spoken are
Idoma,
Igede, and
Tiv. With its capital located in
Makurdi, Benue is primarily an agricultural state, hence the name the “Food Basket of the Nation”. Benue state has the highest prevalence rate in the country, which is almost double the national average. The recent 2005 sentinel survey indicates that the rate has risen from of 9.3% to 10% within the past two years. It is estimated that more than 372,000 people are infected with HIV in the state. Among the contributors to the spread of the epidemic in the high level of poverty, ignorance and its location along a major transport route that links the northern and southern regions of Nigeria.
