Archive May 21, 2025

The completion of the Kashimbila Dam in Taraba State, according to the Sultan of Sokoto, should be prioritized over the implementation of the project, which would solve Nigeria’s persistent electricity issues.

The Sultan praised Governor Agbu Kefas for his commitment to enhancing security and creating a conducive environment for investment at the inaugural Taravest Summit held on Wednesday in Jalingo, the state capital.

The Sultan, however, expressed concern about the Kashimbila Dam’s slow construction and stressed the need for immediate and complete completion.

“We need that dam completely prepared,” he said. Many of the issues we are currently facing with power would have been eliminated if that project had been finished and that company had already produced power.

It has taken years for successive governments to address it, but we must now concentrate on completing the project entirely. The Sultan urged the country to use it to power both Taraba and the entire North-East and the entire nation as a whole.

READ ALSO: Foreigners Can’t Invest in Nigeria – Dangote Without Local Investors

“Taraba More Secure”

The governor’s pragmatic leadership has also helped Taraba become more secure and attractive to investors, according to the monarch.

“In the past, Taraba’s situation wasn’t positive.” However, we can confidently say that someone is acting morally today. If there is no security, investors won’t come, no matter how hard you try to attract them.

Governor Kefas and I have been having fruitful discussions, respectively. People can now enter Taraba peacefully because it is safer than it once was, he said.

The Sultan continued, “We are here as moral and spiritual leaders as you need the support you need,” noting that traditional rulers are unwaveringly supportive of the administration and its development objectives. We assure you that you won’t hide under us.

Top government officials, private sector leaders, and investors gathered for the Taravest Summit to learn about Taraba’s abundant resources and potential development opportunities. The theme of the summit was “Advancing Agriculture, Energy, Mining, and Industrialization (AEMI) for Sustainable Growth and Development.”

Among those present were Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, business mogul Tony Elumelu, the Ooni of Ife, and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Kashimbila Dam

On the Katsina-Ala River in Taraba State, the Kashimbila Dam, which is formally known as the Kashimbila Hydroelectric Power Station, is located.

Its purpose included a variety of uses, including flood control, electricity generation, water supply, irrigation, and regional economic stimulation.

The dam’s main goals are to reduce the risk of flooding caused by the potential collapse of Lake Nyos in Cameroon. A 40 MW hydroelectric power station is a part of the project’s goal to supply southern Taraba with electricity.

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for president in the 2023 general elections, asserted that a stable and secure business environment will attract both investment and economic growth.

Atiku made this statement during his Wednesday speech at the Taraba International Investment Summit, which was tagged “Taravest,” in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.

He claimed that Taraba’s economy has significant potential for investment and could be improved to enable the development of a stable and secure investment environment.

He urged the government to take steps to reduce investment risks and close bottlenecks and identified agriculture as key factors in the state’s development.

Read more about the security and access to electricity in Nigeria – Elumelu.

The government is urged to take steps to address investment risks, implement interventions, and stop bottlenecks, according to the statement.

He said that host communities’ “poverty, security, and stability” are key factors in the direction of investment flows.

He suggested that the government should focus its efforts on attracting investment through well-designed, well-defined goals, objectives, and strategies as well as well-defined, cogent, and consistent policy measures.

According to Atiku, effective institutions would transform the way that infrastructure is delivered, improve the availability, and maintain the foundation of sustainable development.

Private and Public Partnerships

No Nigerian state, in his opinion, has the resources to support economic growth and maintain sustainable development independently.

Therefore, he claimed that addressing resource gaps and utilizing the state’s potential to facilitate investments was essential by developing strategic partnerships between the state, private investors, local businesses, and communities.

Additionally, the former vice president asserted that private investments would increase internal revenue by bridging the gap between external resources and by reducing internal resource gaps.

Indeed, he said, Taraba must work with private sector resources, including, as Aliko Dangote put it, finance, skills, and technology, to realize its potential and sustainably grow its economy.

I am aware that domestic and foreign investment drives economic growth and development as a private businessman.

The state will benefit from private investments, which Taraba is renowned for, to leverage and maximize the economic potential of its agricultural, industrial, and solid mineral sectors. This initiative aims to provide inclusive growth and lay the groundwork for a diversified economy.

Atiku emphasized the value of skill and technology transfer, which, in his opinion, could boost local businesses’ productivity and boost their competitiveness.

READ MORE: Without Local Investors, Foreigners Can’t Make Investments in Nigeria-Dangete.

“Taraba will be able to upgrade the social and economic infrastructure to promote human capital development and economic growth.
The state’s human resources workforce will be strengthened by investments in education and healthcare services.
“Tarab will better support the poor and the vulnerable by empowering them, improving their access to basic services, and ensuring an equitable distribution of resources to reduce poverty,” he continued.

However, the governor was commended for his deft actions that were clearly demonstrated in the former vice president’s favor of economic growth, prosperity, and raising living standards.