The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the Taraba State Government to harness the state’s vast economic potential, particularly in agriculture, energy, tourism, infrastructure and mineral resources.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Jalingo at the celebration of Taraba State’s 35th anniversary and the official unveiling of the Taraba Regional Development Master Plan.
Idris, who conveyed the greetings of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council to the government and people of Taraba, described the Master Plan as an important blueprint for sustainable development, saying its unveiling provided an opportunity to define a clear pathway for the state’s future.
He commended Governor Agbu Kefas for adopting a long-term development framework.
He however stressed that the effectiveness of the plan would ultimately depend on sustained implementation and its ability to improve the lives of citizens.
“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,” Idris said.
The Minister described Taraba as one of Nigeria’s most promising economic frontiers, citing its considerable opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, livestock, hydropower, tourism, manufacturing and mineral development.
He also commended the Kefas administration for its investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic development.
According to him, the state government’s policy of free and compulsory primary and secondary education, alongside the provision of more than ₦1.8 billion in 2026 for the payment of NECO, BECE and NABTEB examination registration fees for students in public schools, demonstrated a commitment to human capital development.
Idris further highlighted financing agreements worth approximately $268 million signed between the Taraba State Government and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
The agreements, he said, covered 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.
He said such investments were necessary to transform Taraba’s natural resources and comparative advantages into productive economic activities, value addition, employment and sustainable growth.
The Minister said the Federal Government was complementing the state’s development efforts through major infrastructure projects across Taraba.
He listed the Gembu–Mbamnga–Yang (Lip) Road, the Bali–Serti–Gashaka–Gembu Road and interventions along the Jalingo–Mutum Biyu–Tella–Wukari corridor among ongoing federal projects.
He also mentioned further 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,” Idris said.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s intention to harness Taraba’s agricultural, energy and mineral resources, with particular attention to the strategic Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
the Minister said the Federal Government was pursuing reforms aimed at establishing State Police to bring policing closer to communities while maintaining professionalism, accountability and safeguards against abuse.
He said such an arrangement could be particularly beneficial to Taraba because of its expansive terrain and dispersed border communities, where local intelligence, community knowledge and rapid response were critical to effective policing.
Idris also cited the establishment of the Nigerian Army’s 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo with operational responsibility for Taraba and Adamawa states, as another indication of the Federal Government’s 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,” he said.
Idris also defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy, saying the policy had generated an additional ₦15.8 trillion for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.
He said about ₦5.4 trillion accrued to the Federal Government, while approximately ₦10.4 trillion went to state and local governments.
According to him, the additional resources were providing governments with greater fiscal capacity to invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and human capital development.
The Minister said the Federal Government remained opposed to a return to the previous subsidy regime, stressing that the focus was now on consolidating the gains of the reforms, protecting vulnerable Nigerians and ensuring that public resources translated into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
He emphasised that development should remain people-centred, with deliberate efforts to create opportunities for young people, expand women’s economic participation, support farmers and small businesses and connect communities to markets and public services.
Idris also pledged closer collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and the Taraba State Ministry of Information and Re-Orientation to ensure that the objectives of the Regional Development Master Plan were effectively communicated to residents.
He said the plan must not remain a government document but should be understood and embraced by citizens across the state.
“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, because a plan for Taraba must ultimately be a plan owned by the people of Taraba,” he said.
The Minister congratulated Governor Kefas and the people of Taraba on the state’s 35th anniversary, describing the occasion as both a celebration of its history and a renewed commitment to its future.
“Thirty-five years of history. A new blueprint for the future. And a renewed commitment to building the Taraba we want and the Nigeria we deserve,” Idris said.
Speaking at the event, Governor Agbu Kefas called for continuity in governance, acknowledging the contributions of former military administrators and elected governors to the development of Taraba.
Kefas said his administration was committed to building on previous achievements, correcting shortcomings, completing worthy projects and opening new frontiers for future generations.
He urged former leaders of the state to continue contributing their experience and institutional knowledge towards strengthening peace, unity and prosperity in Taraba.
“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,” the governor said.
He added that the ultimate credit for the state’s development belonged to the people of Taraba.
