By
Hannah Akanta
Taraba State is set to embark on a major rural road development programme as all 16 local government councils signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Origin Tech Limited to open up farming communities across the state.
The agreement, signed in Jalingo under the supervision of Governor Agbu Kefas, forms part of the state government’s wider agricultural mechanisation and rural development programme.
Governor Kefas disclosed that agricultural equipment valued at N16 billion had already been acquired, delivered and tested for deployment across the state.
He said the initiative was designed to improve access to farmlands, connect rural communities to markets and enable farmers to take greater advantage of modern agricultural technology.
According to the governor, the partnership with Origin Tech Limited goes beyond the supply of machinery, providing for its effective deployment, operation and maintenance.
Kefas said the involvement of the 16 local government councils was deliberate, stressing that it would ensure that agricultural equipment and infrastructure reached the communities where they were most needed.
He urged council chairmen to work closely with their communities and create conditions capable of attracting private investment into agriculture.
The governor also linked the agricultural drive to the state’s revenue ambitions, saying increased agricultural activity could boost internally generated revenue and gradually reduce Taraba’s dependence on federal allocations.
Chairman of Origin Tech Limited, Prince Sam Joseph, said Taraba’s geographical position and strong agricultural potential influenced the company’s decision to partner with the state.
He said the programme would cover both crop and livestock development, with specialised agro-centres forming a key component of the initiative.
Joseph disclosed that six agro-centres had already been developed through the company’s partnership with the Taraba State Government.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Oliver, described the initiative as the Taraba Accelerated Agriculture and Rural Development Scheme, saying it would focus on agricultural production, mechanisation, irrigation, aggregation and processing.
He said the planned rural roads would provide critical links between farming communities and markets, storage facilities and processing centres.
Chairman of the Taraba State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Moses Maihankali, commended Governor Kefas for placing agriculture at the centre of efforts to address hardship in the state.
Maihankali pledged the support and cooperation of the local government councils to ensure the successful implementation of the programme.
With the rural road component now backed by all 16 councils, the state government is positioning the initiative as a major push to connect Taraba’s farms to infrastructure, markets and modern agricultural services.
