By Chibuzor Alli
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to working with Taraba State to develop its potential in agriculture, energy, tourism, infrastructure and mineral resources.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris made the pledge on Thursday in Jalingo at a gala to mark Taraba State’s 35th anniversary and the unveiling of the Taraba Regional Development Master Plan.
Mr Idris described the master plan as an important framework for sustainable development, saying its success would depend on sustained implementation and its impact on residents.
“The success of this Master Plan will not be measured by the ceremony at which it is unveiled, but by the roads built, businesses created, jobs generated, communities connected and lives improved,” the minister said.
He conveyed the greetings of President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council to the government and people of Taraba, saying the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate the state’s progress since its creation in 1991 and set out its future direction.
Mr Idris described Taraba as one of Nigeria’s promising economic frontiers, with opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, livestock, hydropower, tourism, manufacturing and mineral development.
He commended Governor Agbu Kefas for adopting a long-term development framework and highlighted the state government’s investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic development.
He particularly cited the state’s free and compulsory primary and secondary education policy, including the provision of more than N1.8bn in 2026 to cover NECO, BECE and NABTEB examination registration for public school pupils.
Mr Idris also highlighted financing agreements worth about $268m signed between Taraba State and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
The agreements cover an integrated industrial park, 10,000 hectares of irrigated rice production and processing, and a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Jalingo.
He said such projects could help convert Taraba’s natural resources into production, value addition, jobs and sustainable economic growth.
The minister said the federal government was complementing the state’s development plans through major infrastructure projects, including the Gembu-Mbamnga-Yang (Lip) Road and the Bali-Serti-Gashaka-Gembu Road.
He also cited interventions on the Jalingo-Mutum Biyu-Tella-Wukari corridor, as well as work on the Mayo Selbe-Gembu, Mutum Biyu-Garba Chede and Jalingo-Numan roads.
“These are more than roads. They are investments in connectivity, trade, tourism, agriculture, security and the movement of people and goods,” he said.
Mr Idris also reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to developing Taraba’s agricultural, energy and mineral resources, including the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
On security, he said the federal government was advancing reforms towards establishing state police, with the aim of bringing policing closer to communities while maintaining professionalism, accountability and safeguards against abuse.
He said such an arrangement could benefit Taraba because of its large geographical area and dispersed border communities, where local knowledge, intelligence gathering and rapid response were important.
Mr Idris also cited the establishment of the Nigerian Army’s 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, with operational responsibility for Taraba and Adamawa states, as part of efforts to strengthen security in the region.
“Security and development must go together. People cannot invest, farmers cannot move their produce, tourists cannot visit and businesses cannot grow where communities feel unsafe,” Idris said.
The minister said the federal government’s economic reforms were creating a stronger fiscal foundation for development.
He said the removal of petrol subsidy had generated N15.8tn in additional resources for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025.
According to him, about N5.4tn accrued to the federal government, while approximately N10.4tn went to state and local governments for infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and human capital development.
Mr Idris said the government remained opposed to returning to the previous subsidy regime, adding that its priority was to consolidate the gains of the reforms, protect vulnerable Nigerians and ensure that additional public resources translated into improvements in people’s lives.
He said development should focus on creating opportunities for young people, increasing women’s economic participation, supporting farmers and small businesses, and connecting communities to markets and public services.
Mr Idris also pledged closer cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and the Taraba State Ministry of Information and Re-Orientation to help residents understand and support the master plan.
“The vision contained in this Master Plan must go beyond government offices. It must reach the farmer, the entrepreneur, the student, the trader and communities across Taraba.
“This is because a plan for Taraba must ultimately be a plan owned by the people of Taraba,” he said.
He congratulated Governor Kefas and the people of Taraba on the state’s 35th anniversary, describing the occasion as a celebration of its history and a renewed commitment to its future.
“35 years of history. A new blueprint for the future. And a renewed commitment to building the Taraba we want and the Nigeria we deserve,” the minister said.
In his remarks, Mr Kefas called for continuity in governance and acknowledged the contributions of former military administrators and elected governors to the state’s development.
He said his administration would build on previous achievements, correct shortcomings, complete worthwhile projects and create new opportunities for future generations.
Mr Kefas said Taraba’s development should transcend individual governments, political parties and ethnic groups, and urged former leaders to continue contributing their experience and institutional knowledge to the state.
“Government must be a continuum. Development must be cumulative. Taraba is bigger than any government, any administration, any political party, any ethnic group, or any individual,” Kefas said.
He added that the people of Taraba should ultimately receive the credit for the state’s development.
Former Taraba governor Rev Jolly Nyame, Secretary to the Taraba State Government G.T. Kataps, Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority Salihu Dembos and Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Mohammed Bulama attended the event.
Also present were the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority Abubakar Dantsoho, government officials, traditional leaders, members of the diplomatic and business communities and other dignitaries.
Leave a comment