The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the Taraba State Government to harness the state’s vast potential in agriculture, energy, tourism, infrastructure and mineral resources.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the commitment on Thursday in Jalingo during a gala night organised to mark Taraba State’s 35th anniversary and unveil the Taraba Regional Development Master Plan.
Idris described the Master Plan as a significant blueprint for sustainable development, saying its success would ultimately depend on consistent implementation and its ability to improve the lives of residents.
He conveyed the greetings of President Bola Tinubu and members of the Federal Executive Council to the government and people of Taraba, noting that the 35th anniversary provided an opportunity to celebrate the state’s achievements since its creation in 1991 while establishing a clear direction for its future.
“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,” he said.
The minister described Taraba as one of Nigeria’s most promising economic frontiers, citing 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 administration’s investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic development.
According to Idris, the state government allocated more than N1.8 billion in 2026 for the payment of NECO, BECE and NABTEB examination fees for students in public schools as part of its free and compulsory education policy.
He also disclosed that Taraba had signed financing agreements worth approximately $268 million with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development for the development of an integrated industrial park, 10,000 hectares of irrigated rice production and processing, and a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Jalingo.
Idris said the projects would help transform Taraba’s natural advantages into production, value addition, employment and sustainable economic growth.
He added that the Federal Government was complementing the state’s development efforts through investments in major road projects, including the Gembu–Mbamnga–Yang (Lip) Road, Bali–Serti–Gashaka–Gembu Road and interventions along the Jalingo–Mutum Biyu–Tella–Wukari corridor.
Other federal road interventions, he said, included 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,” Idris said.
The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to developing Taraba’s agricultural, energy and mineral resources, including the strategic Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
On security, Idris said ongoing reforms toward the establishment of State Police would bring policing closer to communities while maintaining professionalism, accountability and safeguards against abuse.
He said the initiative could be particularly useful to Taraba because of its vast terrain and dispersed border communities, where local intelligence and rapid response are essential.
Idris also cited the establishment of the Nigerian Army’s 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo with operational responsibility for Taraba and Adamawa states, as evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening 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,” he said.
The minister further defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms, saying the removal of the petrol subsidy had generated N15.8 trillion in additional resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.
He said about N5.4 trillion accrued to the Federal Government, while approximately N10.4 trillion went to state and local governments for development purposes.
Idris said the Federal Government had no intention of returning to the previous subsidy regime, stressing that the focus remained on consolidating the gains of reform, protecting vulnerable Nigerians and ensuring that increased public revenues translated into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
He also pledged closer cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and the Taraba State Ministry of Information and Re-Orientation to ensure that residents understood and supported the objectives of 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,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Kefas called for continuity in governance and acknowledged the contributions of former military administrators and elected governors to the development of the state.
He said his administration would build on previous achievements, correct areas that required attention, complete worthwhile projects and open new opportunities for future generations.
“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.
The governor stressed that the development of the state must remain above political and individual interests, adding that former leaders should continue to contribute their experience and institutional knowledge to Taraba’s peace, unity and prosperity.
He maintained that the ultimate credit for the state’s development belonged to the people of Taraba.
The event was attended by former Taraba Governor Rev. Jolly Nyame, Secretary to the State Government G.T. Kataps, Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority Salihu Dembos, Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Mohammed Bulama, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority Abubakar Dantsoho, traditional rulers, government officials, members of the diplomatic and business communities and other dignitaries.
