Jalingo: The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to working 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 during the Gala night celebrating Taraba State’s 35th anniversary and the official unveiling of the Taraba Regional Development Master Plan.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammed Idris described the newly unveiled Taraba Regional Development Master Plan as an essential blueprint for sustainable growth. He conveyed the greetings of President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council to the government and people of Taraba State, highlighting the anniversary as an opportunity to celebrate the state’s progress since its creation in 1991 and to define a clear pathway for its future. Idris commended Governor Agbu Kefas for adopting a long-term development framework, emphasizing that the success of the Master Plan would ultimately depend on its sustained implementation and impact on citizens’ lives.
Idris described Taraba as one of Nigeria’s most promising economic frontiers, with enormous opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, livestock, hydropower, tourism, manufacturing, and mineral development. He praised 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. He noted that more than N1.8 billion would be provided in 2026 to cover examination registration fees for public-school students.
The minister also highlighted the approximately $268 million financing agreements signed between Taraba State and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development. These agreements cover an integrated industrial park, 10,000 hectares of irrigated rice production and processing, and a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Jalingo. Idris said these investments are essential initiatives to convert the state’s natural advantages into production, value addition, employment, and sustainable economic growth.
He noted that the Tinubu administration was complementing the state’s development drive through major federal infrastructure projects, including roads that are investments in connectivity, trade, tourism, agriculture, security, and the movement of people and goods. The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to harnessing Taraba’s agricultural, energy, and mineral potential, including the strategic Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
On security, Idris mentioned that the federal government was advancing reforms toward the establishment of State Police, which would bring policing closer to communities. This framework could particularly benefit Taraba due to its vast terrain and dispersed border communities. The establishment of the Nigerian Army’s 10 Division, headquartered in Jalingo, was cited as evidence of the federal government’s commitment to strengthening security in the region.
Idris highlighted the federal government’s economic reforms, aimed at creating a stronger fiscal foundation for development. He noted that the removal of petrol subsidy had mobilized N15.8 trillion in additional resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025, with significant funds allocated to states and local governments for infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, and human capital development.
The minister emphasized that development must ultimately be people-centered, creating opportunities for young people, expanding women’s economic participation, supporting farmers and small businesses, and connecting communities to markets and public services. He pledged stronger collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and the Taraba State Ministry of Information and Re-Orientation to ensure citizens understood and embraced the objectives of the Master Plan.
Governor Agbu Kefas, in his remarks, called for continuity in governance, acknowledging the contributions of former military administrators and elected governors to the development of Taraba State. He 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 state’s peace, unity, and prosperity.
The event was attended by former Governor Rev. Jolly Nyame, Secretary to the Government of Taraba State Chief G.T. Kataps, Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority Salihu Dembos, Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Dr. Mohammed Bulama, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, and other distinguished government officials, traditional leaders, members of the diplomatic and business communities, and other dignitaries.