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NO ROADS, NO PROGRESS: Why Taraba’s Palm Oil Riches Remain Out of Reach

 By: Kamal Hammajo Adam

Freelance Journalist | +2347069274878

Beneath the thick green canopies of Takum, Kurmi, Ussa, and Bali Local Government Areas, lies a wealth that could change Taraba State’s fortune, not oil from the ground, but palm trees, silently growing in abundance, waiting to be harnessed. For decades, these trees have supported rural communities in small ways. But what if they could support the entire state, even the nation, if only one thing changed?

That one thing is Infrastructure.


Despite the richness of the land and hundreds of women already involved in palm kernel oil production, poor road access has kept these communities locked out of the formal economy. A 2021 research by Taraba State University, undergraduate student confirms that rural women across these regions are actively producing palm kernel oil using traditional methods. But their efforts remain small-scale, because they can’t easily move raw materials or finished products due to non-existent roads.

And yet, the opportunity is massive.

A SILENT ECONOMY WAITING TO BE AWAKENED

Taraba is naturally endowed with vast palm tree belts. Experts agree that with the right investment, these resources could be turned into a thriving agro-industrial value chain producing:

✓ Crude palm oil for local consumption and export

✓ Palm kernel oil for cosmetics and industrial use

✓ Soaps, organic fertilizers, and animal feed

✓ Thousands of jobs for women and youth


In fact, the Taraba Oil Mills Ltd. in Kurmi LGA, recently revitalized, already shows what’s possible. The mill has the capacity to process tons of palm fruit and kernels weekly, but to reach its full potential, it depends on raw materials coming from rural communities, communities that are cut off by lack of roads.

KASHIMBILA POWER IS READY: But the Roads Are Not

One of Taraba’s most powerful assets is the Kashimbila Hydropower Plant, already generating 40 megawatts of electricity. This clean, constant power could energize palm oil processing plants, storage facilities, and small industries across the southern belt. Adding to the abundant water resources, fertile land, and active farmers, Taraba have all the ingredients for economic boom.

But without accessible roads, even the best infrastructure lies idle.



THE TARABA INVESTMENT SUMMIT: A Moment of Truth

At the recent Taraba Investment Summit, stakeholders from across the country gathered to discuss how to unlock the state’s economic potential. But talk must now be followed by targeted action. Government, at the local, state, and federal levels, must prioritize opening up the palm belt with feeder and access roads.

This is not just about agriculture. It’s about creating:

• Jobs

• Wealth

• Tax revenue

• Industrial growth

• And above all, a future for Taraba’s rural communities


A CALL TO ACTION

Taraba has everything: the land, the trees, the power, the people. What it lacks is the will to invest in rural access infrastructure. Without it, the palm oil wealth remains a sleeping giant.

But with it, Taraba can become the largest producer of palm oil and related products in Nigeria, if not in Africa.


THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW.


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