TARABA STATE

TARABA STATE
Governor: Danbaba Suntari (PDP)

Date Created: August 27, 1991

Capital City: Jalingo

Major Towns: Takun, Wukari, Zing, Sardauna, Bali, Yono, Kurmi, Ibi, Gashaka etc.

Taraba state is bounded in the north-east by Adamawa State, in the west and south west by Plateau and Benue States and on the eastern border by the Republic of Cameroon. It was created on the 27th of August, 1991.

There are 15 local government areas in Taraba State. These include Jalingo, Sardauna, Takum, Wakari, Gashaka, Bali, Zing, Yomo, Karim Lamido, Ibi, Lau, Ussa, Ardo kola, Gassol and Kurmi.

Taraba State lies largely within the middle of Nigeria and consists of undulating landscape dotted with a few mountainous features. These include the scenic and prominent Manbilla Plateau. The state lies largely within the tropical zone and has a vegatation of low forest in the southern part and grassland in the northern part. The mambilla with an altitude of 1,800 metres above sea level has a temperate climate all year round.

The River Benue is the main river and rises from the Cameroon mountains, straining almost the entire length of the State in a north/south direction to link up with the River Niger.

The major occupation of the people of Taraba State is agricultue. Cash crops produced in the state include coffee, tea, groundnuts and cotton. Crops such as maize, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, and yam are also produced commercially.

quantity. In addition, cattle, sheep and goats are reared in large numbers, especially on the Mambilla Plateau, and along the Benue and Taraba valleys. Similarly, the people undertake other livestock production activities like poultry production, rabbit breeding and pig fanning, in fairly Wgo-scale. Communities living on the banks of River Benue, Taraba and Donga engage in fishing all the year round.

Other occupational activities such as pottery, clothweaving, dyeing mat-making, carving, embroidery and blacksmithing are also carried out in various parts of the state.

Taraba State is richly endowed with potentials for the development of Tourism. in recognition of this, the government made concerted efforts to identify and improve areas of tourist attraction. They are:the Mambilla Tourist Centre which is part of the mountain chains of Adamawa, Obudu, Shebshi, Alantika and Mandara; the Barup waterfall, located on the Plateau; the Gashka/Gumpti Game Reserves situated at the Argentina of the Mambilla Plateau.

Prominent among the major cultural festivals is the Nwunyo Fishing festivals in Ibi which usually holds in April each year. During the festivals, activities such as canoe racing, swimming competition and Cultural dances are held.

Other festivals are Purina of the Chamba, Puje of the Jukuns, kuchicheb of the Kutebs (Takum), Kati of the Mambilla and a host of others.