Taraba State / Nature’s Gift to the Nation

Taraba state is in eastern Nigeria. It was formed in 1991 from the old Gongola state’s southern part. Taraba is bounded by Gombe and Bauchi states to the north, Adamawa state to the east, Cameroon to the south, Plateau, Nassarawa, and Benue states. Most of the the state’s northern area is covered by a forested savanna region drained by the Benue River and its tributaries. Mountains in the southern part of the state reach elevations of more than a thousand meters. Sorghum, cassava, millet, yams, rice,  sugarcane, and corn are all grown in the state. River fishing and cow, goat, and sheep herding are also considerable. Rubber plants and oil palms have been planted in the state’s southern portion. At the same time, the Mambilla Mountain section of the Adamawa Plateau offers a tsetse-free high grassland environment ideal for cattle rearing. Taraba state is populated mainly by the Jukum (Jukun) and Mambilla communities, including a sizable Christian population. In the state, cottage industries create ceramics, metallurgy, leather products, and hand-dyed fabric. Ibi’s yearly fishing festival is a popular tourist destination. The state is serviced by highways that go north to Yola, south to Makurdi, west to Bauchi, while the Benue River serves as a waterway. The state capital is Jalingo. Gumti/Gashaka National Park was established in the 1980s as a game reserve.

Culture and Traditions of Taraba State

Taraba is a very heterogeneous, multiethnic state comprised of about eighty ethnicities speaking a variety of languages. Fulani,  Kuteb, Jukun, Jango, Mumuye, Chamba, and Mambilla are just a few main ethnic groupings. Agriculture is the main activity of the Taraba people, as are fishing, earthenware, cloth weaving, dyeing, mat-making, fine woodworking, needlework, and blacksmithing. There are many cultural festivals, the majority of which are held to commemorate harvest, initiation into masculinity or femininity, ruler installation, weddings, and other rituals and forms of entertainment. The administration has formulated collective initiatives to strengthen tourist attractions such as the Gumpti Park, Mambilla Tourist Center, and Gashaka game reserve; and the Nwunyu fishing carnival in Ibi, that is typically held in April and features activities such as canoe racing, open water competitions, and ethnic dance parties. Kuchecheb of Kutebs in Takum,  Takum and jibu cultural dance in Bali, Purma of the Chamba in Donga, Ussa Kati of the Mambilla, and , and Puje of Jukuns a host of others. Taraba is referred to as “Nature’s gift to the country” due to the state’s wealth and diversity of ethnicities.  Taraba State includes a portion of the Mambilla Region, renowned as the Bantu cradle, inhabited for more than five millennia.

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

The climate of Taraba State

Like other areas located in the North of Nigeria, Taraba State’s general climate is wet and dry; the wet period runs, on the aggregate, between October and April with a mean yearly rainfall that ranges from 1050mm in the areas near Zing and Jalingo, to over 1250mm in the South near Takum and Serti. The wet season is August and September. The dry season can last between November through March; the driest periods are January and December, with relative humidity falling to around 14%. The mean yearly temperature near the capital of Taraba is approximately 28°C with maximum temperatures ranging between 30°C and 39.5°C, while minimum temperatures run from 16°C to 24°C (Jalingo is the capital of Taraba). The Mambilla plateau climatic conditions can be best described as those of a temperate climate.

Agriculture

Cultivation and animal keeping are the primary activities of the inhabitants of Taraba State. Groundnuts, Tea,   Coffee,  and cotton are among the cash crops grown in the state. Commercial quantities of rice, maize, millet, sorghum, yam, and cassava are also produced.   Additionally, vast quantities of cattle, goats, and sheep are rared, particularly in the Mambilla Plateau region and throughout the Taraba and Benue valleys. Similarly, individuals engage in various animal production operations significantly, including chicken production, rabbit breeding, and pig farming. Communities along the rivers Taraba, Benue, Ibi, and Donga participate in annual fishing.

Landmarks in Taraba State

1. The Mambilla Plateau

The Mambilla Plateau

The famous  plateau is bounded by the Obudu, Adamawa, Shebshi, and Alantika mountain chains around 1,830 meters above sea level, the plateau. Within the tropical area, it has a moderate climate. It features an undulating, insect-free terrain. The table is rich with temperate crops such as avocado, pear, and strawberries. The plateau is believed to be Nigeria’s and perhaps Africa’s highest point. Once reaching the summit, the scorching heat experienced at the mountain base dissipates as you are greeted with a refreshing and extremely chilly wind sweeping over the plateau.

Donga River Basin Forest

Sheltering over a hundred and ninety species, this is one of Nigeria’s most popular birding destinations. The spotted honeyguide, dusky long-tailed cuckoo, forest francolin, green Hyla, African pied hornbill, white-bellied kingfisher, Hartlaub’s duck, and red-headed malimbe are among some birds reported here. The region is lowland woodland next to the Donga River, south of Buru town and about 10 kilometers from the Cameroonian border.

Gashaka-Gumti Game Reserve

Gashaka-Gumti is Nigeria’s biggest national park, covering about 6600 square kilometers. This region is significant not just as a large watershed; it also serves as a refuge to a diverse and exotic collection of species, owing to its strategic position at the confluence of the wet Cameroon Highlands and the dry Sub-Saharan Guinea Savannah. The region around northern Gumti is flat and is a shelter to a variety of big savannah species, including hyenas, elephants, wild dogs, roan, antelopes, lions, and gigantic elands. This reserve is the most prominent and wealthiest south of the Sahara Desert. It is diverse in flora and fauna and offers a variety of bird-watching opportunities.

Ngel-Nyaki Forest Reserve

It is located about an hour west of Gashaka Gumti National Park, between Gembu and Serti. The reserve is bordered by montane meadows and is flanked by other forest units. The forest’s species composition is varied, and it has many towering emergent trees. There have been reports of 86 species of birds in the park, including banner man’s weaver, Apalis, jacksoni, and cross ley’s ground thrush. Other fauna in the area includes antelopes, buffalos, chimpanzees, and monkeys.