The Federal Government has pledged stronger collaboration with the Taraba State Government to unlock the state’s potential in agriculture, energy, tourism, infrastructure and mineral resources.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this in Jalingo while speaking at the celebration of Taraba State’s 35th anniversary and the unveiling of the Taraba Regional Development Master Plan.
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Idris, who conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s greetings to the government and people of Taraba, described the Master Plan as an important blueprint for sustainable development and commended Governor Agbu Kefas for adopting a long-term framework for the state’s growth.
He, however, stressed that the success of the plan would 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 described Taraba as one of Nigeria’s promising economic frontiers, citing its opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, livestock, hydropower, tourism, manufacturing and mineral development.
He commended the Kefas administration for its investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic development, particularly its policy of free and compulsory primary and secondary education.
The Minister also highlighted the state government’s provision of more than ₦1.8 billion in 2026 for the payment of NECO, BECE and NABTEB examination registration fees for public-school students.
He further cited financing agreements worth approximately $268 million between Taraba State and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development for an integrated industrial park, 10,000 hectares of irrigated rice production and processing, and a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Jalingo.
According to Idris, the projects demonstrate the kind of investments required to convert Taraba’s natural resources into production, value addition, employment and sustainable economic growth.
The Minister said the Federal Government was also supporting the state’s development through major infrastructure projects, including the Gembu–Mbamnga–Yang (Lip) Road, Bali–Serti–Gashaka–Gembu Road, interventions along the Jalingo–Mutum Biyu–Tella–Wukari corridor, and 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,”
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to developing Taraba’s agricultural, energy and mineral resources, including the strategic Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
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On security, Idris said the Federal Government was pursuing reforms towards the establishment of State Police, with the aim of bringing policing closer to communities while maintaining professionalism, accountability and safeguards against abuse.
He said the initiative could be particularly beneficial to Taraba because of its vast terrain and dispersed border communities, where local knowledge, intelligence gathering and rapid response are important to effective policing.
The Minister 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,”
On economic reforms, Idris said the removal of petrol subsidy had generated ₦15.8 trillion in additional resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.
He said approximately ₦5.4 trillion accrued to the Federal Government, while about ₦10.4 trillion went to state and local governments, providing additional resources for 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 on consolidating the gains of reforms, protecting vulnerable Nigerians and ensuring that additional public resources translated into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
Idris emphasised the need for people-centred development that creates opportunities for young people, expands women’s economic participation, supports farmers and small businesses, and connects communities to markets and public services.
He also pledged stronger 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 Master Plan are effectively communicated and embraced by citizens.
“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,”
The Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, called for continuity in governance and acknowledged the contributions of former military administrators and elected governors to the development of the state.
Kefas said his administration would build on previous achievements, correct areas requiring attention, complete viable projects and open new frontiers for future generations.
He stressed that Taraba’s development must remain bigger than any government, political party, ethnic group or individual, urging former leaders to continue contributing their experience and institutional knowledge to the state’s peace, unity and prosperity.
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“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,”