Article Was Last Updated August 24, 2026
Tiv people form the largest ethnic group in Benue State and also live in parts of Nasarawa, Taraba and Plateau states. Gboko, Vandeikya, Makurdi, Katsina-Ala, Guma, Gwer, Kwande and other areas form part of the main Tiv population in Nigeria.
The community has produced wealthy businessmen, politicians, lawyers, academics and entrepreneurs. Terry Waya, Gabriel Suswam, George Akume, Samuel Ortom and Barnabas Gemade are among the prominent names associated with wealth in Tiv land. See also our list of the richest politicians in Nigeria.
Exact fortunes remain difficult to establish because most of these men hold private assets and businesses. The ranking below considers their businesses, property interests, professional careers and income sources when placing them among the richest men in Tiv land.
Top 10 Richest Men in Tiv Land
1. Terry Waya
Terry Waya is a businessman from Vandeikya in Benue State. He attended Kaduna Polytechnic before moving to Abuja, where he worked as a consultant on the construction of the Transcorp Hilton in the early 1990s.
After working in consultancy, Waya moved into agriculture, industry, real estate and hospitality. He also became Executive Director of GT Carbon and invested in businesses outside Nigeria.
Waya has also spoken about his involvement in the development of Banana Island in Lagos. He said he secured the project during the military era and brought the Chagoury Group into the development.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Waya hosted major social events in Nigeria and abroad. His 40th birthday celebration in London in 2001 attracted several Nigerian governors, while his preference for Versace earned him the nickname “Mr Versace.”
His son, Terseer Waya, known as Kiddwaya, appeared on Big Brother Naija in 2020. Kiddwaya has spoken about his father’s influence on his upbringing and career.
In May 2025, Waya gave his own estimate of his net worth during an interview with Romanian television personality Oana Irimia. He said his fortune was “Maybe about 2.2 billion dollars.”
Waya has linked his wealth to agriculture, industry, property and investments. His business activities span Nigeria and Europe.
2. Gabriel Suswam
Gabriel Torwua Suswam is a lawyer and former Governor of Benue State. He was born on 15 November 1964 in Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area, Benue State. Suswam studied law at the University of Lagos, graduated in 1989 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990. He practised law before establishing his own firm in 1994.
Suswam entered the House of Representatives in 1999 after winning the Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency seat. He retained the seat in 2003 and chaired House committees on Appropriation and Power.
In 2007, Suswam won the Benue State governorship election and succeeded George Akume. He won a second term in 2011 after defeating Torkuma Ugba and left office on 29 May 2015.
Four years later, Suswam won the Benue North-East Senate seat. He served in the Ninth National Assembly from 2019 to 2023 before losing the seat to Emmanuel Udende.
In 2026, Suswam joined the All Progressives Congress and contested the APC senatorial primary for Benue North-East. He won the primary in May with 131,083 votes against Udende’s 1,364 votes.
Suswam also faces a Federal High Court case over an alleged ₦3.1 billion diversion of Benue State funds. The court adjourned the case to 25 September 2026 for the adoption of final written addresses.
Gabriel Suswam’s net worth is estimated at $3 million. His income has included earnings from legal practice and political office.
3. George Akume
George Akume is a Nigerian politician from Wannune in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State. He was born on 27 December 1953 and worked in the Benue State Civil Service before entering politics.
Akume studied Sociology at the University of Ibadan and later earned a master’s degree in Industrial and Labour Relations. He worked as a land officer and later held administrative positions in the Benue State Government before joining the Federal Ministry of Education.
In 1999, Akume won the Benue State governorship election on the Peoples Democratic Party platform. He served as governor from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and won re-election in 2003. His administration launched the Benue Advance Plan, which covered infrastructure and other state development projects.
After leaving office in 2007, Akume won the Benue North-West Senate seat. He retained the seat in 2011 and 2015 and served as Senate Minority Leader from 2011 to 2015. He also chaired the Senate Committee on Army.
In 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Akume Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs. He left the cabinet in May 2023 when Buhari’s administration ended.
On 2 June 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Akume Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He became the 21st person to hold the office.
George Akume’s estimated net worth is $5 million in 2026. His income has come from his years as a civil servant, governor, senator, minister and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
4. Samuel Ortom
Samuel Ortom built his businesses before entering politics. Born on 23 April 1961 in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, he started work at a young age and later moved into trading, printing, manufacturing, agriculture and construction.
Ortom founded Oracle Business Limited, which operated Oracle Farms, Oracle Oil Mills, Oracle Printing Press and Goshen Water. He also chaired Capital Prints Limited and Achieve Engineering Limited, with activities in publishing, mechanised farming, animal husbandry and construction.
His agricultural operations included mechanised farming and livestock production. Oracle Oil Mills added agricultural processing, while Oracle Printing Press and Capital Prints expanded his activities into publishing and commercial printing.
After establishing his businesses, Ortom entered politics. He served as chairman of Guma Local Government Area before taking positions within the Peoples Democratic Party. President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him Minister of State for Trade and Investment in 2011, and he later served as Supervising Minister of Aviation.
In 2015, Ortom won the Benue State governorship election under the All Progressives Congress. He joined the Peoples Democratic Party before the 2019 election, won a second term and left office on 29 May 2023.
In September 2024, the Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service sealed Oracle Business Limited over an alleged ₦93.5 million tax liability. The company disputed the assessment and said it had agreed to pay part of the amount while challenging the remainder.
Samuel Ortom’s net worth is estimated at $4.5 million.
5. Barnabas Gemade
Barnabas Andyar Iyorhyer Gemade is an engineer, businessman and politician from Mkar in Gboko, Benue State. He was born on 4 September 1948 and studied civil engineering at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, before completing postgraduate studies in highway and transport engineering in London.
After his studies, Gemade worked as an engineer and co-founded Sam Barns and Partners in Jos in 1980. He later joined Benue Cement Company in Gboko, where he became Deputy Managing Director and then Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He headed the company from 1987 to 1992.
Gemade left the cement company and entered government. He served as Secretary for Works and Housing during the Interim National Government and participated in the 1994–95 National Constitutional Conference.
In 1999, Gemade became National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, succeeding Solomon Lar. He led the party until 2001 and later served on its Board of Trustees.
Gemade returned to elected office in 2011 after winning the Benue North-East Senate seat. He retained the seat in 2015 and served on several Senate committees.
His business interests predate his political career. His years at Benue Cement Company also gave him senior corporate experience before he moved into federal politics.
Gemade holds the Tiv traditional title Nom-I-Yange-I-Tiv, meaning “The Rising Sun of Tiv.”
No reliable figure establishes Gemade’s current net worth. His documented business career and assets form the basis for his inclusion in this list.
6. Atser Kyausu
Athanasius Atser Kyausu, known as Kyabiz, is a businessman from Vandeikya, Benue State. He has built businesses in petroleum, hospitality and contracting.
Kyausu Nigeria Limited was incorporated on 22 June 2000. The company has its registered address in Vandeikya, while corporate records list Athanasius Iordye Kyausu as a director.
He also has interests in hospitality. Kyabiz Hotel operates on Km 3 Gboko Road in Makurdi, while Kyabiz Hilltop Hotel operates on Vandeikya Joe Akaaha Way.
Kyausu Nigeria Limited also appears in Pension Commission records as an employer issued with a 2024 certificate of compliance.
His estimated net worth is about $5 million in 2026. His main sources of income include petroleum, hotels and contracting.
7. Michael Aondoakaa
Michael Kaase Aondoakaa is a Nigerian lawyer, businessman and politician from Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State. He was born on 12 June 1962 and studied law at the University of Maiduguri before attending the Nigerian Law School. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986.
After his National Youth Service, Aondoakaa worked with Mikios Nigeria Limited and later joined J. Tine Tur & Co. in Gboko. He then opened M. K. Aondoakaa & Co., which later became Prime Juris Legal Practitioners and Consultants. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2006.
In July 2007, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua appointed Aondoakaa Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. He held the position until February 2010 before moving to the Ministry of Special Duties.
In 2008, Aondoakaa joined the Governing Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in Rome. He served on the council until 2013.
After leaving government, Aondoakaa invested in rice farming and processing in Benue State. Through Mikap Nigeria Limited, he produces Miva Rice in Makurdi and works with farmers through an out-grower scheme.
Aondoakaa also invested in education through Saint Zita Nursery and Primary Schools in Makurdi. He has supported students through scholarship programmes.
In 2026, Aondoakaa returned to politics ahead of the 2027 Benue State governorship election. The Peoples Democratic Party selected him as its consensus governorship candidate.
Michael Aondoakaa’s exact net worth is not known. His income comes from legal practice, agriculture, rice processing and business investments.
8. Iyorchia Ayu
Iyorchia Ayu is a Nigerian politician and academic from Gboko, Benue State. Born on 15 November 1952, he studied Sociology at Ahmadu Bello University and earned a doctorate from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. He taught Sociology at the University of Jos before entering politics and took part in the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Ayu entered the Senate during the Third Republic after winning the Benue North-West seat on the Social Democratic Party platform. Senators elected him President of the Senate on 5 December 1992. He held the position until the military government dissolved the National Assembly in November 1993.
After leaving the Senate, Ayu served as Minister of Education under General Sani Abacha. He joined President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government in 1999 as Minister of Industry, then served as Minister of Internal Affairs from 2003 to 2005 and Minister of Environment in 2005.
Ayu returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and became National Chairman in October 2021. He led the party into the 2023 general election as tensions grew between Atiku Abubakar and the G5 governors over the party’s leadership.
The dispute continued after the election, and Ayu’s ward executives in Gboko suspended him in March 2023.
Ayu has also written on politics and social issues, including Essays in Popular Struggle.
Iyorchia Ayu’s exact net worth is not established. His income has included academic work, political office and federal appointments, while details of his private property and investments remain limited.
9. Terhemba Shija
Terhemba Shija is a Nigerian professor, novelist, poet, literary critic and former politician from Tiv land. He was born on 23 November 1960 in Nyumangbagh, Mbaduku, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State. He studied English and literary studies before becoming a professor at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Shija has written fiction and criticism on Nigerian literature, politics and Tiv culture. His 2015 novel, The Siege, The Saga, follows Targema from poverty into wealth and politics, with Gboko and Zaki Biam among its settings.
He has also researched Kwagh-hir, the traditional Tiv theatre. His research examines the theatre’s development and its place in Tiv society.
His books include Whispers of Distant Drums, Serenades of Zaki-Biam and Other Stories, Cantos for the Benue, Post-coloniality and the Poetry of Tanure Ojaide and The Siege, The Saga.
Shija entered politics during Nigeria’s Third Republic. He served in the House of Representatives in 1992 before Governor George Akume appointed him Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Benue State. He left the position in December 2002.
Shija has earned income from university teaching, academic administration, writing and government service.
10. James Ayatse
Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse spent more than three decades in higher education before becoming the fifth Tor Tiv. He was born on 12 May 1956 in Shangev-Ya, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
Ayatse studied biochemistry at the University of Ibadan, then earned a master’s degree from the University of Calabar and a PhD from the University of Surrey in England. He joined the University of Calabar in 1980 and became a professor of biochemistry in 1993.
In 2001, Ayatse became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi. He held the position until 2006, during which student enrolment increased from about 2,000 to roughly 7,000.
Ayatse became the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, in 2011. He led the university through its first graduation and maiden convocation.
After Tor Tiv IV, Alfred Akawe Torkula, died, Tiv kingmakers elected Ayatse on 20 December 2016. He won 39 of 46 votes and was crowned Tor Tiv V in Gboko on 4 March 2017.
As Tor Tiv V, Ayatse heads the Tiv Area Traditional Council and chairs the Benue State Council of Chiefs. He also serves as Chancellor of Abia State University.
President Muhammadu Buhari awarded Ayatse the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2022.
Ayatse’s career has brought income from university teaching, academic administration and traditional leadership. No dependable figure establishes his current net worth.
