Every Region Has Role in National Development – Tinubu
Jalingo, May 21, 2025 – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emphasized that every region of Nigeria holds a vital role in the nation’s development, highlighting food security and regional economic inclusion as the foundational pillars for Nigeria’s long-term stability. Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the opening of the Taraba International Investment Summit 2025, Tinubu outlined his administration’s commitment to leveraging local resources and decentralizing development to ensure shared prosperity across the country.
Food Security and Regional Synergy
President Tinubu described food sufficiency as “the first currency of national stability,” reiterating that agriculture remains central to the Renewed Hope Agenda. He called for a shift from subsistence farming to industrial-scale food production, urging Nigerian farmers to transition from traditional tools to modern machinery like tractors and harvesters to increase productivity and feed the nation’s growing population.
Taraba’s Strategic Role
Tinubu singled out Taraba State as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural and industrial future, citing its capacity to produce export-grade tea, coffee, livestock, and its potential in clean energy and mineral resources. He referenced the Kashimbila Dam—Nigeria’s largest hydroelectric project—not just as an engineering feat but as a symbol of what is possible when Nigeria dreams and delivers.
“Taraba’s role in this vision is central. From the export-grade tea and coffee grown on its hills to the livestock raised here that feed the nation’s meat industry, this state is an agricultural powerhouse that must be fully harnessed,” Tinubu stated.
Value Addition and Industrialization
The President warned against the over-reliance on exporting raw commodities, stressing the need for value addition, innovation clusters, and industrial parks to transform raw materials into finished goods and drive economic impact.
National Unity Through Regional Strength
Tinubu underscored that each part of Nigeria is a “gift to the other,” noting,
“Each region complements the other so profoundly that the deficiency of one region is often redeemed by the sufficiency of the other. Our ultimate awakening as a nation begins with this realization—that no part of this country can thrive in isolation”.
He praised Taraba’s governor for visionary leadership and affirmed that the administration is expanding economic inclusion beyond Lagos and Abuja to all enterprising corners of the country
