Taraba State

Taraba is a state in North Eastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.

Taraba
State
État de Taraba
Mambilla Plateau of Taraba State
Nickname(s): 
Nature's Gift to the Nation (French: Le cadeau de la nature à la nation)
Location of Taraba State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 8°00′N 10°30′E
Country Nigeria
Date created27 August 1991
CapitalJalingo
Government
 • Governor
(List)		Darius Dickson Ishaku (PDP)
 • Deputy GovernorHaruna Manu
 • Senators
Area
 • Total54,473 km2 (21,032 sq mi)
Area rank3rd of 36
Population
 (2006 census)
 • Total2,294,800[1]
 • Rank30th of 36
GDP (PPP)
 • Year2007
 • Total$3.40 billion[2]
 • Per capita$1,446[2]
Time zoneUTC+01 (WAT)
postal code
660001
ISO 3166 codeNG-TA
HDI (2018)0.501[3]
low · 26th of 37
Websitetarabastate.gov.ng

History

The state was created out of the former Gongola State on 27 August 1991, by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.

Geography

Taraba State is bounded in the west by Nasarawa State and Benue State, northwest by Plateau State, north by Bauchi State and Gombe State, northeast by Adamawa State, and south by Nord-Ouest Province, claimed by both Ambazonia and Cameroon.

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 Mambilla Plateau. The state lies largely within the tropical zone and has a vegetation of low forest in the southern part and grassland in the northern part. The Mambilla Plateau with an altitude of 1,800 meters (6000 ft) above sea level has a temperate climate all year round.

The Benue, Donga, Taraba and Ibi are the main rivers in the state. They rise from the Cameroonian mountains, straining almost the entire length of the state in the North and South direction to link up with the River Niger.

Local government areas
See also: List of villages in Taraba State

Taraba State consists of sixteen (16) Local Government Areas (or LGAs). They are governed by elected chairmen. They are as follows:

Languages

Languages of Taraba State listed by LGA:[4]

LGALanguages
ArdokolaFulfulde, Kona, Mumuye
BaliDirim; Etkywan; Fam; Gbaya, Northwest; Jibu; Jukun Takum; Kam; Mumuye; Ndoola; Samba Daka; Samba Leko; Tiv; Waja, Fulfulde
DongaSamba Leko
GashakaJibu, Ndoola, Fulfulde, Samba Daka; Yamba
GassolFulfulde, Wapan, Tiv
IbiDuguri; Dza, Tiv, Fulfulde
JalingoFulfulde, Kona, Mumuye; Samba Daka; Tita
Karim LamidoComo Karim; Dadiya; Dza; Jiba; Jiru; Fulfulde, Kholok; Kulung; Kyak; Laka; Munga Lelau; Loo; Mághdì; Mak; Munga Doso; Mumuye; Nyam; Pangseng; Piya-Kwonci; Shoo-Minda-Nye; Yandang; Hõne; Kwa; Pero
KurmiAbon; Bitare
LauFulfulde, Dza; Loo; Yandang
TakumMashi; Bete; Etkywan; Jukun Takum; Kapya; Kpan; Kpati; Kuteb; Lufu; Samba Leko; Tiv; Yukuben
WukariJukun, Etkywan; Etulo; Kpan; Kpati; Kulung; Tarok; Tiv; Wapan
SardaunaFulfulde, Áncá; Batu; Buru; Etkywan; Fum; Kpan; Lamnso'; Lidzonka; Limbum; Mambila; Mbembe, Tigon; Mbongno; Mvanip; Nde-Gbite; Ndoola; Ndunda; Nshi; Somyev; Viti; Vute; Yamba, kaka
YorroMumuye, Fulfulde, Samba
ZingMumuye, Fulfulde, Nyong; Rang; Samba Daka; Yandang

Other languages spoken in Taraba State are Akum, Bukwen, Esimbi, Fali of Baissa, Jiba, Njerep, Tha, Yandang, Yotti, Ywom.[4]

Agriculture

The major occupation of the people of Taraba State is agriculture. 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 in commercial 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 farming in fairly large scale. Communities living on the banks of River Benue, River Taraba, River Donga and Ibi engage in fishing all year round. Other occupational activities such as pottery, cloth-weaving, dyeing, mat-making, carving, embroidery and blacksmithing are also carried out in various parts of the State.

Culture

The government has made concerted efforts to improve areas of tourist attractions like Mambilla Tourist Center, Gumpti Park and game reserve in Gashaka; and the Nwunyu fishing festival in Ibi, which is usually held in April of each year where activities such as canoe racing, swimming competition and cultural dances are held. Other festivals are Purma of the Chamba in Donga, Takum and jibu culture dance in Bali, the Puje of Jukuns, Kuchecheb of Kutebs in Takum and Ussa[5], Kati of the Mambilla and host of others. Taraba is called "Nature's gift to the nation" as the state is rich and have many ethnic groups, including Jenjo, Jibana, Kuteb Chamba, Yandang, Mumuyes, Mambila, Wurkums, Fulanis, Jukun, Ichen, Tiv, Kaka, Pena, Kambu, Wawa, Vute, Hausa and Ndola.

A striking historical fact about the State is that it encompasses part of the Mambilla Region which is famed as the Bantu cradle, having been occupied for some five millennia to date (Schwartz, 1972; Zeitlyn & Connell, 2003).

Notable people

References
  1. "2006 PHC Priority Tables – NATIONAL POPULATION COMMISSION". population.gov.ng. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  2. "C-GIDD (Canback Global Income Distribution Database)". Canback Dangel. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  4. "Nigeria". Ethnologue (22 ed.). Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  5. http://www.kuteb.tripod.com
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