OPINION
REFLECTION ON DEVELOPMENT AND YOUTH EMANCIPATION: THE CASE OF TARABA STATE
By Tijani Sale Angyu
In an era where leadership is best judged by impact rather than promises, Taraba State is steadily emerging as a model of people-focused development and youth empowerment.
Gov Agbu Kefas
Under the stewardship of Governor Agbu Kefas, a transformation is unfolding quietly but unmistakably touching lives, reshaping narratives, and creating opportunities.
Development, in its true sense, goes beyond infrastructure and statistics. It is about improving the quality of life raising living standards, enhancing access to education and healthcare, creating jobs, and ensuring safety and dignity for all. It is about lifting people from the margins and placing them on the path of self-sufficiency and progress.
In the economic sense, development means rising productivity, income, employment, and access to services. But beyond that, it demands a deep human touch policies and programmes that address everyday realities: parents struggling to pay school fees, rural children trying to attend school, and young people wandering the streets, desperately seeking work.
This is why it is important for Tarabans to look beyond political alignments, ethnic sentiments, or partisan interests. Development should not be reduced to who wins or loses in political circles. It should be seen through the lives it transforms and the dignity it restores. What Governor Agbu Kefas is doing is not politics it is leadership. And it is beginning to show.
Since assuming office in 2023, Governor Kefas has made youth development a cornerstone of his administration. With a clear commitment to inclusion, empowerment, and growth, he has opened wide the doors of opportunity for young people across the state. These are no longer promises; they are policies with measurable impact.
Taraba’s youths are not just being talked about, they are being trusted with responsibilities. Out of 20 commissioners in the state, 18 are youths. A staggering 100 out of 120 special advisers are young people. More than 800 special assistants, senior special assistants, and community aides are drawn from the youth population. Nearly 80% of board and parastatal appointments have also gone to young professionals.
This deliberate inclusion is reshaping not just governance but the future of Taraba itself. And to ensure sustainability, the administration has established the Taraba State Youth Development Agency, a permanent institution to coordinate youth-centered initiatives well beyond the current administration.
Economic empowerment has been another powerful tool. Through small-scale business loans and support hubs, thousands of young people now have the resources and training to start businesses, pursue trades, and grow economically. Agriculture, once seen as the preserve of rural subsistence farmers, has been repositioned into a profitable venture. With support from government programs, many young Tarabans have become successful agribusiness entrepreneurs. Recently about 300 young agriculturalists were trained in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Education has also received critical attention. Governor Kefas’ bold free education policy is already lifting the burden off thousands of families. By ensuring that every child regardless of background can access quality education, the state is laying a foundation for a more enlightened, skilled, and competitive generation.
In a similar forward-looking move, the administration created the Ministry of Digital Economy, which is now training young people in critical digital skills. In a world driven by technology, this investment positions Taraba’s youth to not just catch up, but compete on national and global stages.
Underlying all these is the Governor’s focus on peace, unity, and economic stability. His inclusive leadership style has brought calm to previously volatile areas and fostered inter-ethnic cooperation. As a result, Taraba is becoming more attractive to investors, safer for citizens, and more stable for business and development.
To dismiss all of this as mere political showmanship would be to ignore the very real impact on the lives of ordinary Tarabans. Criticism is healthy in any democracy, but it must be rooted in truth. The reality on the ground speaks for itself: Taraba is moving forward not by accident, but by design.
What we are witnessing is not just governance; it is legacy-building. Governor Kefas is not merely occupying office he is transforming it into a platform for impact. His administration is not waiting for the future; it is building it, one policy, one project, one empowered youth at a time.
Taraba’s story is changing. And its future looks brighter than ever.
Hon. Tijani Sale Angyu,
PDP-Zonal Youths Leader,
North East.
