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, Mohammed Idris, stated this on Thursday in Jalingo at the Gala night to mark the Taraba State’s 35th anniversary and the official unveiling of the Taraba Regional Development Master Plan.

He described the newly unveiled Taraba Regional Development Master Plan as an important blueprint for sustainable growth.

Idris, who conveyed the greetings of President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council to the government and people of Taraba State, said the state’s 35th anniversary offered an opportunity not only to celebrate its progress since creation in 1991, but also to define a clear pathway for its future.

He commended Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba for adopting a long-term development framework, saying the success of the Master Plan would ultimately depend on sustained implementation and its impact on 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,” the minister said.

Idris described Taraba as one of Nigeria’s most promising economic frontiers, with enormous opportunities in agriculture and 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 said the evidence was in the provision of more than N1.8 billion in 2026 to cover NECO, BECE and NABTEB examination registration for public-school students.

The minister also highlighted the approximately 268 million dollars financing agreements signed 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.

He said the investments represented the kind of initiatives required to convert the state’s natural advantages into production, value addition, employment and sustainable economic growth.

Idris said Tinubu’s administration was complementing the state’s development drive through major federal infrastructure projects.

“These include the Gembu–Mbamnga–Yang (Lip) Road, the Bali–Serti–Gashaka–Gembu Road, interventions on the Jalingo–Mutum Biyu–Tella–Wukari corridor, as well as 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 said.

The minister also 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 said the federal government was advancing reforms toward the establishment of State Police to bring policing closer to communities while ensuring professionalism, accountability and safeguards against abuse.

He said such a framework could be particularly beneficial to Taraba because of its vast terrain and dispersed border communities, where local knowledge, intelligence gathering and rapid response were critical 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 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,” Idris said.

He said the federal government’s economic reforms were designed to create a stronger fiscal foundation for development, noting that the removal of petrol subsidy had mobilised N15.8 trillion in additional resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

According to him, approximately N5.4 trillion accrued to the federal government while about N10.4 trillion went to states and local governments, providing additional resources for infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and human capital development.

Idris said the federal government remained opposed to a return to the previous subsidy regime, stressing that the priority was to consolidate the gains of reform, protect vulnerable Nigerians and ensure that additional public resources translated into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.

He emphasised that development must ultimately be people-centred, creating opportunities for young people, expanding women’s economic participation, supporting farmers and small businesses, and connecting communities to markets and public services.

The minister 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 citizens understand and embrace 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.

“This is because a plan for Taraba must ultimately be a plan owned by the people of Taraba,” he said.

Idris congratulated Kefas, the government, and the people of Taraba State on the state’s 35th anniversary, describing the occasion as both a celebration of Taraba’s history and a renewed commitment to its future.

“35 years of history. A new blueprint for the future. And a renewed commitment to building the Taraba we want and the Nigeria we deserve,” the minister said.

In his remarks, Kefas also called for continuity in governance, acknowledging the contributions of former military administrators and elected governors to Taraba State’s development.

He said his administration was committed to building on previous achievements, correcting what needed to be corrected, completing worthy projects and opening new frontiers for future generations.

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 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,” Kefas said.

He added that the ultimate credit for development belongs to the people of Taraba State.

Present at the event were the former Governor of Taraba State, Rev. Jolly Nyame; Secretary to the Government of Taraba State, Chief G.T. Kataps; Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Salihu Dembos; and  Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Dr Mohammed Bulama.

Others were the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho; as well as other distinguished government officials, traditional leaders, members of the diplomatic and business communities, and other dignitaries.

NAN

Source: punchng.com

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