By Sanee Yarima, Jalingo
Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission to drive development in the state.
The governor stated this when the Commission’s management, led by its Managing Director, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, paid him a courtesy visit at the TY Danjuma Government House in Jalingo, the state capital.
The National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) was established with a clear and people-centred mandate: to reverse the ecological damage caused by dam operations and to promote sustainable socio-economic development in the nation’s power-producing areas.
Flooding, erosion, environmental degradation, displacement, and the disruption of traditional livelihoods are real, and they form the basis of the Commission’s policy concerns.
In his remarks, Governor Agbu Kefas highlighted Taraba’s rich energy and natural resources, emphasising that harnessing these assets could significantly boost the state’s development.
“There is no doubt that Taraba is one of the most critical assets that this nation has when it comes to energy resources. So we have so much that can be achieved if we come together to utilise all the natural resources that God has endowed in us.
The governor appreciated N-HYPPADEC’s intervention projects in the state and stressed that coordination and mutual respect between the government and the Commission would bring more benefits to the people.
Earlier in an address, the Managing Director of the Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, who is also the Turakin Yauri, noted that the visit was part of the Commission’s tour to new member states, including Taraba, Kaduna, Gombe, and Nasarawa, which were admitted in June 2023.
“Taraba State occupies a uniquely important place in our mandate. Your state was added to the Commission because it houses the Kashimbla Hydropower plant and it is a core part of the Mambilla Plateau hydropower corridor; an area of immense strategic importance to Nigeria’s energy future, yet one characterised by environmentally fragile landscapes and vulnerable communities.
“The inclusion of Taraba was therefore both necessary and overdue, and we are proud to now walk this journey with you. Since 2024, the Commission has taken concrete steps to translate this mandate into visible action across Taraba State.
The MD also mentioned that the Commission is establishing more area offices in some selected LGAs of Taraba to implement projects and interventions, and appreciated the Taraba State Government for its support, especially in the establishment of the Commission’s state office in Jalingo.
Additionally, he revealed that Taraba is one of the first among the four (4) new states that provided free office accommodation for the Commission and expressed gratitude for the gesture.
The Turakin Yauri, however, highlighted intervention projects provided by the Commission in Taraba State, including the installation of 34 solar-powered streetlights across different riverine communities and the Jalingo metropolis, the construction of 15 solar-powered boreholes, and the supply of 32 power tiller machines to the farming cooperatives across beneficiary communities.
“Recognising Taraba’s riverine challenges, we delivered two operational flying boats along the Lau-Karim-Lamido and Ibi-Wukari axes to enhance emergency response and mobility. We undertook extensive desilting and evacuation of blocked drainages and culverts, which covers approximately forty thousand linear metres across Wukari, Takum, Ibi, Ardo-Kola, KarimLamido, Jalingo, Yorro and Lau, with a view to mitigating flooding and reducing environmental risks.
“We also supplied and installed transformers in Jalingo and supported education by paying NECO external examination fees for candidates from the power-producing communities,” Yelwa added.
According to Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, while the Commission is proud of what has been achieved, it is also more mindful of how much remains to be done, and he concluded by congratulating Governor Kefas for accepting the calls of Tarabans to join the Ruling APC.
