Aptly christened ‘Nature’s Gift to the Nation’, Taraba state is a wonder in resources.
Yet they are so massive that government at state and federal levels get overwhelmed to tap them for the overall development of the state and the nation.
Inundated by numerous water bodies, Taraba is home to one of the big rivers in Nigeria, the River Benue. There is also River Taraba from where the state derives its name.
There is River Donga, too, with enough water all year round. Other massive water bodies are the Kashimbila dam and Tunga dam. Evenly spread across the state, these bodies of water provide great opportunities for hydro electricity and agricultural production.
In the light of these massive energy opportunities, it is expected that this year’s third edition of the prestigious Africa Today Conference and Summits, scheduled to hold at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Tuesday, October 17, will beam a searchlight on Taraba for what it has to off er.
Moreover, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state is likely to attend the conference, which is expected to bring renowned energy experts to discuss energy issues that relate to Nigeria and Africa.
This year’s topic is Energy Options in Low-cost and Low-carbon World: Which Way Nigeria and Africa? In looking at energy options with low-cost, Taraba state presents vast opportunities, which if given proper attention would benefit Africa at large.
It is interesting to note that Governor Ishaku as minister of power foresaw the benefi ts Taraba state stands to gain which informed his fast tracking the Mambila Hydroelectric project.
The project, if executed, would serve the energy needs of Nigeria and neighbouring countries in the West Africa and Central Africa sub regions.
The continued pressure the Taraba state government mounted on the federal government to see to the actualization of the power component of the Kashimbila Dam is already yielding signifi cant fruit as the construction of the substations for the evacuation of power from the dam through Takum and Wukari, and eventually through Mutum Biyu to Jalingo is progressing satisfactorily.
Also, the second phase of the Tunga Dam at Kakara which produces the power supply to the Highland Tea is gathering momentum and when completed, it would add about 330kilowatts of power to the existing output which will enable more surrounding communities to benefi t from the power produced by the dam.
The Mambila Hydro Power Project, conceived many years ago, has witnessed concrete collaborative eff orts taken by the Taraba government and the federal government on the project.
Governor Ishaku is personally elated and congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on the release of funds for the project recently.
Viewed from this perspective, the Ishaku administration has given priority to water projects no administration has ever done before.
The measure is not one of serendipity, but a well thought out initiative conceived so that with the support of the federal government projects in energy generation and agriculture will occupy a primary focus and position.
It is important to remember that as a budding consultant precisely 22 years ago, Governor Ishaku predicted today.
He advised the government of Taraba state at the time for a comprehensive plan for water for Taraba state. They ignored him, perhaps, because water was not the priority of the administration at the time.
Nevertheless, the inevitability of water in the development process no administration can downplay.
Apart from powering electricity, which the nation stands in a crisis, it is for industrial use in manufacturing and for domestic consumption. Today, enter Taraba state, and Arc.
Ishaku is the helmsman. As governor with a clear cut Rescue Mission, his agenda on water is unprecedented, hence the current effort to provide water for Taraba state.
The massive water if properly harnessed will not only serve electricity generation, but also agriculture production, tourism and solid mineral deposits for which Taraba is well known and no state can compete with her.
The federal government policy on agriculture greatly favours Taraba state if it is given the attention it deserves.
For instance, the state has the capacity to grow rice, yam, beans, sorghum, sugarcane, cassava, tomatoes and pepper and groundnuts, all in commercial quantity for local consumption and export.
What is lacking now is agrobased industries that will add value to these produce so that the farmers and government would stand to have maximum benefits.
Although the Ishaku administration is using the Taraba Investment and Properties Company to revive some moribund industries, the effort needs to be augmented considering the massive drive required towards agriculture.
Interestingly, the Green House, which is an innovation to grow such vegetables as tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and pepper under hygienic conditions for local consumption and ultimately for export, shows the commitment of the administration to accelerated development.
Although it is not the policy of the Ishaku administration to be actively involved in business, he believes that the private investor will take advantage and seize the initiative to take over when the global economic recession improves and things begin to pick up.
At present, Governor Ishaku has a clean domestic slate in terms of salary payment, projects execution and job creation, an indication that he wants the state to gain economic momentum.
This calls for the involvement of the federal government to strengthen its agricultural programme, which Governor Ishaku is an unwavering supporter.
It is equally expected that the Africa Today Conference will not end up as a talk shop, but help to woo investors to Nigeria and Africa. And if it is Nigeria, Taraba stands a perfect chance of benefi tting as the Ishaku administration is investor friendly and is willing to assist the economy of Taraba in particular and Nigeria at large to receive a huge boost. Mijinyawa is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Taraba state
