By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the Taraba State Government to unlock the state’s vast potential in agriculture, energy, tourism, infrastructure and mineral resources.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, stated this on Thursday in Jalingo during 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.
He commended Governor Agbu Kefas for adopting a long-term development framework, but stressed that its success would depend on sustained implementation and its impact on the lives of the people.
“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.
Idris described Taraba as one of Nigeria’s most promising economic frontiers, citing its opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, livestock, hydropower, tourism, manufacturing and mineral development.
He also commended the Kefas administration for investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic development, particularly its policy of free and compulsory primary and secondary education.
The minister noted that the state government had provided more than ₦1.8 billion in 2026 to fund NECO, BECE and NABTEB examination registration for students in public schools.
He further highlighted 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 him, such investments would help transform Taraba’s natural resources into production, value addition, employment and sustainable economic growth.
The minister said the Federal Government was also complementing the state’s development efforts through major infrastructure projects, including the Gembu–Mbamnga–Yang (Lip) Road, Bali–Serti–Gashaka–Gembu Road and interventions on the Jalingo–Mutum Biyu–Tella–Wukari corridor.
He listed additional federal road projects including 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 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 towards the establishment of State Police were aimed at bringing policing closer to communities while ensuring professionalism, accountability and safeguards against abuse.
He said the initiative could particularly benefit Taraba because of its vast terrain and dispersed border communities, where local knowledge, intelligence gathering and rapid response are essential.
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 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.
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 maintained that the Federal Government remained opposed to a return to the previous subsidy regime, saying its priority was to consolidate the gains of the reforms, protect vulnerable Nigerians and ensure that increased public resources translated into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
Idris stressed that development must remain people-centred by creating opportunities for young people, expanding women’s economic participation, supporting farmers and small businesses, and connecting 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,” Idris said.
Governor Kefas, in his remarks, 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 identified shortcomings, complete worthy projects and open new frontiers for future generations.
Kefas stressed that the development of Taraba 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 peace, unity and prosperity of 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,” he said.
The governor added that the ultimate credit for the state’s development belonged to the people of Taraba.
The event was attended by former Taraba State Governor, Rev. Jolly Nyame; Secretary to the Taraba State Government, Chief G.T. Kataps; Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos; Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Dr. Mohammed Bulama; Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; government officials, traditional rulers, members of the diplomatic and business communities and other dignitaries.
