Eunice Spring of Life Foundation (ESLF) is a Non-Governmental Organization set up to support developmental strides in Benue State and beyond from a non-political, non-partisan point of view and without bias to creed or race. To do this, ESLF intends to build partnerships with the government and other civil society organizations, working within and outside Makurdi, where its headquarters is current
ly located to provide technical, administrative and financial support cutting across a wide-range of socio-economic and cultural interests. As earlier stated, the launch of ESLF is borne out of a profoundly nationalistic and patriotic desire of the Founders to key into government’s change agenda and policy shift that has been activated to favour a reversal of years of secretiveness and corruption that had characterized the management of resources in Nigeria. Benue state shall be the first focus of the Organization for obvious reasons. Located in the middle-belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 (based on figures in 2006 census), it is inhabited predominantly by the Tiv and Idoma peoples, who speak Tiv language and Idoma, respectively. There are other ethnic groups, including the Igede, Etulo and Abakwa, Jukun, Hausa, Akweya and Nyifon. Benue State is largely rural, with scattered settlements mainly in tiny compound or homesteads, whose population range from 630 people and above, most of its inhabitants are peasant farmers. Benue state is blessed with abundant mineral resources that are found within the Local Government Areas of the State. Of these mineral resources, only limestone at Tse-Kucha near Gboko and Kaolinite at Otukpo are being commercially exploited. Other mineral deposits include barite, gypsum, feldspar, wolframite, mineral salts and gemstone among others. Benue State is the nation’s acclaimed food basket because of its rich agricultural produce which include yam, rice, beans, cassava, sweet-potato, maize, soyabeans, sorghum, millet, sesame, cocoyam etc. The state accounts for over 70% of Nigeria’s soybeans production. Agriculture is, therefore, the mainstay of the economy, engaging over 75% of the state’s population. The state also boasts of one of the longest stretches of river systems in the country with great potential for a viable fishing industry, dry season farming through irrigation and for an inland water highway. The vegetation of the southern parts of the state is characterized by forests, which yield trees for timber and provide a suitable habitat for rare animal types and species. The state, thus, has potential for the development of viable forest and wildlife reserves. Despite these natural resources coupled with an ebullient naturally gifted and educated people, the state has remained poor due to numerous factors key among which are the incessant inter communal clashes recently orchestrated by coordinated herdsmen attacks on its indigenes; poor leadership, inordinate political ambitions resulting in politically motivated killings, brazen corruption, lack of industries, continued used of subsistent farming techniques and high unemployment levels among young peoples. The above mentioned challenges have combined to make life expectancy short, uninteresting and distraught. It is these challenges that led to the establishment of the Eunice Spring of Life Foundation.
