Taraba State Nigeria- A Year In Office For Gov Agbu Kefas

By Ajong Mbapndah L

Elected in March 2023 with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Agbu Kefas took office in May 2023 as Governor of Taraba State, in Nigeria. Governor Kefas is part of a new generation of Nigerian politicians and is determined to develop Taraba across several key focus areas. A year into office , Governor Kefas fielded questions from PAV on developments and progress with implementation of the vision that brought him to power.

Could we start with an introduction of Taraba State in Nigeria for those who may not be familiar with it?

Taraba’s slogan is “Nature's Gift to the Nation”, and it perfectly reflects what the state is. Taraba is a vast and fertile land, with great agricultural potential and natural resources. Our main economic driver is agriculture, and we lead in the domestic production of maize, tea, millet, sorghum, and rice. Our land is also rich with natural resources. We have deposits of Gold, Barite, Lead-Zinc and Copper, that we want to sustainably exploit in collaboration with investors to create economic benefit for our people. As Governor, my commitment is to create prosperity for our community, prioritizing our talented people as we work with enterprises to support us in the realisation of our potential.

In what shape was the State when you took over as Governor and what progress is there to see since you took office?

As Governor, education has been fundamental to our administration’s efforts, and we have seen significant progress over the course of my first year in office. I strongly believe that everybody should have access to education to contribute to the growth of our nation. That is why my first act was to pass legislation ensuring free education for all primary and secondary schools in Taraba. We are already seeing very promising results: this year, attendance rates increased by 34% in primary schools and up to 64% in secondary schools. Moreover, we have seen progress on multiple other fronts including agriculture, mining, women’s empowerment amongst a host of other important areas. On the security front, the AECLD ranked Taraba in the top 5 most improved states in Nigeria in reducing fatalities caused by incidents of political violence from 2022 to 2023. Our focus moving forward is to sustain this progress across sectors and continue to deliver tangible results for the people of Taraba.

Based on the campaign promises you made to the people of Taraba State, how will you rate the implementation rate a year into your administration?

During our campaignone of the main promises was to restore the dignity of labour. I understand the importance for people in Taraba to have fulfilling employment opportunities and to be justly rewarded for their efforts. To this end I have ensured the payment of salaries, as well as commenced payments of pensions, gratuities, and the wages of retired civil servants. Moreover, on the job front, we are providing employment opportunities in continuing the development of many critical infrastructure projects. This includes a new ICT centre, which will provide opportunities for digital businesses and start-ups, as well as a palliative market, which will employ local people and sell goods at discounted prices for those in need. My administration also launched an initiative to employ 10,000 young people to help clean and develop waste management capacity in the State. We have overseen the payment of N15,000 to each participant monthly, as they support our efforts in making Taraba State a healthier place to live for local people.

Taraba State is said to be the 3^rd largest landmass in Nigeria and 85% of its 3.7 million population is engaged in agriculture, how is that sector faring and what vision do you have to make it better?

My ambition is to bring about Taraba’s potential in the agriculture sector as the breadbasket of the nation. The US International Trade Administration reports that Nigeria relies on $10 billion worth of imports to meet its food and agricultural production shortfalls. We are a state with an expansive landmass containing bountiful quantities of unused arable land making us ripe for production. For this reason, I have provided farmers with easier access to pesticides and fertilizers amongst other essential farming equipment including tractors. Part of this supply came from a deal I secured with the Czech Republic to supply 850 tractors for Taraba State. I have also established the “Agriculture and Food Sustainability Committee”, to focus on strategizing development to fulfil Taraba’s agricultural potential as we engage investors to further innovation and expand our efforts.

In terms of some the biggest challenges typically associated with Nigeria-insecurity, power supply, unemployment, corruption, how does Taraba State fare on these metrics?

Since coming to office, I have made security a priority. I met with leading security personnel from across the country to garner support and foster collaborative efforts. This includes with the leads of the Nigerian Navy, Army, and Airforce to receive guarantees of support in their relevant domains. As well as with the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army staff, who have pledged a battalion to be deployed to Taraba State to embolden the security presence. Under the umbrella of my security mandate have been my efforts to crackdown on illegal mining. I established the Taraba State Special Task Force on Environment and Illegal Mining, as well as signed the executive order to ban illegal mining practices. We saw substantial results with over 100 illegal miners arrested and prosecuted. Having previously served for 21 years in the Nigerian army, I will always endeavour to sustain a secure environment for all Tarabans and our partners.  

For those looking to invest in Nigeria, can you give some reasons why Taraba State should be considered as a destination, what opportunities are there in your state?

Taraba State is abundant with vast amounts of untapped natural resources, and we are determined to make significant improvements in the agri-sector to address the food security issues in Nigeria and abroad. Also to invigorate other sectors including renewable energy and mining. Due to geographic positioning near the equator and the vast expanse of land in our state, we are in a prime position for solar project development. In the mining sector, we have significant deposits of valuable resources as well as potential for further discoveries. The success we have had in tightening up security makes Taraba an attractive destination from a risk perspective. Across sectors, I am focused on creating favourable conditions and enabling investment through state support. We are actively collaborating with investors who wish to explore our natural resource base and help us in harnessing its value.  

How are relations between Governor Agbu Kefas and President Tinubu considering that you both belong to different parties, and how do you think Nigeria is faring under his leadership?

Nigeria operates a federal constitution that stipulates the roles of both the President and the governors. This helps to regulate the relationship between both segments. I'm a member of the Nigeria Governors Forum and from this platform, I relate very easily with the Presidency. We collaborate across many areas, and we sometimes disagree, but in most cases, we share common ground on issues of moving the country forward. It is a relationship that cuts across party divides and helps us to work as a unit for the best interests of the nation.

Still on politics, what accounts for the poor run of results that your party the PDP has experienced on the national scene in the last three or so election cycles and what groundwork or discussions are taking place within the party for a better showing in future elections?

We are currently working diligently with other PDP governors to find answers to the important concerns you have raised. We are reviewing our approach and examining the challenges that have led us to our current position. We are also working to bring about reconciliation and are currently in the process of redefining our values. Providing credible opposition to the ruling party and presenting ourselves as a worthy alternative is what we will continue to do. We remain confident that we will succeed in our efforts.

Can you share some insights on how the remaining three years of your first mandate are going to look like, what are some of the signature projects or programs that you and your administration will be working on?

In education we are strategizing a new initiative to upgrade schooling infrastructure and improve the capacity of teachers to educate students. I have dedicated 24% of the state budget in 2024 to education to sustain the transformative progress we have already delivered in the sector. In agriculture we are engaging investors to fund the development of agri-tech projects and innovative agricultural enterprises. We are leveraging finance and expertise from overseas to help us reach our potential in establishing projects to grow fresh produce for distribution throughout the nation, whilst training and empowering Taraban people.

Going forward after a year in office for Governor Agbu Kefas, what gives you hope for the future of Taraba State and any fears?

In this first year of government, we started addressing important challenges and paving the way for reforms in key areas such as education, security, developing agriculture, mining, as well as empowering youth and women. Looking ahead, I am determined to continue the work we have started and tackle the great challenges we will face, such as those posed by climate change, which is a harsh reality for our communities. This year, I launched the Greening Taraba Initiative to tackle issues such as desertification and flooding. During my administration we will never shy away from the challenges we face, and we will work to make sure Taraba grows and flourishes.