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Why Taraba Climate Action Plan is not just another govt policy – Gov. Agbu Kefas – EnviroNews
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Launching the Taraba State Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2026 on Friday, August 21, 2026, Governor Agbu Kefas said the initiative represents more than the adoption of another government policy, describing it as a strategic decision about the state’s development trajectory and the kind of environment to be handed to future generations.
The Governor said the policy was designed in recognition that climate change is no longer an abstract subject discussed at international conferences but a reality already affecting Taraba’s farmers, communities, infrastructure and natural resources.
“When rainfall comes too early or too late, the farmer feels climate change. When floods destroy farms, roads, bridges and homes, families feel climate change,” Kefas said, adding that drying rivers, excessive heat, forest loss and land degradation were also exposing communities to growing risks.
Climate action to become government-wide responsibility
A major shift announced under the policy is the mainstreaming of climate action across government.
Kefas said climate change would no longer be treated as the exclusive responsibility of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Ministries responsible for agriculture, water resources, energy, works and infrastructure, education, health, finance and budgeting, as well as local governments, traditional institutions, the private sector, universities and citizens, would all have defined roles.
He directed that major government development programmes should increasingly be assessed against their environmental sustainability and their ability to serve the people decades into the future.
The policy therefore seeks to make climate considerations part of planning, budgeting, infrastructure development and public investment decisions rather than treating them as stand-alone environmental interventions.
Forests positioned as economic assets
The Governor also placed forest protection at the centre of Taraba’s climate strategy, stressing that the state’s forests, mountains, rivers, wildlife and biodiversity should be treated as economic assets rather than merely environmental amenities.
He called for increased tree planting, protection of existing forests, restoration of degraded ecosystems and stronger forest protection institutions.
Importantly, the state intends to explore emerging financial opportunities around carbon markets, ecosystem services and conservation finance, potentially turning environmental protection into a source of investment and livelihoods.
The Governor, however, acknowledged the need to balance economic development with environmental protection, saying agriculture, housing and other development activities must not justify indiscriminate deforestation, uncontrolled bush burning or the destruction of protected ecosystems.
Climate-smart agriculture critical to Taraba
Given Taraba’s dependence on agriculture, the policy places significant emphasis on helping farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Kefas said climate policy would fail if it did not protect farmers, and outlined measures including improved climate information, resilient crop varieties, irrigation development, protection of grazing areas and water sources, soil conservation, agroforestry and stronger agricultural extension services.
He argued that farmers must increasingly have access to science, technology and reliable information to reduce dependence on traditional weather prediction as rainfall patterns become less predictable.
Water security and clean energy take centre stage
The policy also recognises the paradox of climate-induced water stress, with communities potentially experiencing flooding during one period and water scarcity only months later.
According to the Governor, the response must therefore go beyond simply increasing water supply to improving how water resources are managed.
The state plans to focus on watershed protection, drainage, erosion control, water conservation, irrigation, improved water infrastructure and protection of rivers and streams.
On energy, the Governor said Taraba’s development ambitions would be aligned with its climate agenda through greater use of solar power, small hydro, renewable-energy mini-grids, cleaner technologies and energy-efficient public infrastructure.
“Climate action and development are not enemies. They must work together,” he declared.
Waste management to become a green-economy opportunity
The policy also seeks to transform waste management from a largely disposal-oriented activity into an economic opportunity.
Kefas said the state could not credibly pursue climate action while waste continued to clog streets, drainages and waterways.
Under the proposed approach, plastics would be recycled, organic waste converted into compost and other waste streams potentially utilised for energy generation and new industries.
He particularly highlighted the potential for young people to benefit from emerging green-economy opportunities in recycling, renewable energy, tree nurseries, sustainable agriculture, environmental technology, climate consulting, carbon markets and ecosystem restoration.
Climate resilience to reshape infrastructure planning
Another significant element is the integration of climate resilience into infrastructure development.
The Governor said roads, bridges, drainage systems, schools, hospitals and other public facilities must increasingly be designed to withstand future climate risks.
“We should not spend billions constructing infrastructure that one major flood will wash away,” he said, stressing that climate resilience must become part of government planning, engineering and procurement processes.
From policy document to measurable results
Perhaps the strongest message from the launch was the Governor’s insistence that the policy must not become another government document with little impact beyond its launch ceremony.
Kefas directed the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to develop an implementation and monitoring framework containing clear responsibilities, timelines and measurable targets.
He further directed relevant ministries, departments and agencies to incorporate climate-related actions, budgets and measurable deliverables into their annual planning and budgeting processes.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is also expected to prepare an Annual Taraba State Climate Action Performance Report to support monitoring and public accountability.
The Governor identified several indicators that should determine whether the policy is succeeding, including hectares of degraded land restored, trees that survive rather than merely those planted, communities protected from flooding, renewable-energy capacity created, green jobs generated, climate finance attracted and the number of farmers adopting climate-smart practices.
“We will no longer measure success simply by the number of conferences attended, workshops organised or reports produced. We will measure success by what changes on the ground,” he said.
Taraba seeks to move from climate conferences to climate investment
The state is also positioning the policy as an investment framework.
Kefas noted that billions of dollars are being mobilised globally for climate adaptation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, forest protection, carbon reduction and environmental restoration.
But he warned that Taraba would need credible, bankable and measurable projects to compete for those resources.
“International partners and investors do not finance intentions. They finance credible plans. They finance bankable projects. They finance measurable outcomes,” the Governor said.
He consequently charged the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Finance, investment agencies and other relevant MDAs to begin translating the policy into bankable projects covering renewable energy, forestry, agriculture, waste management, water, flood control and carbon markets.
The ambition, he said, should be to move “from attending climate conferences to attracting climate investments” and make Taraba a destination for climate investment.
Communities at the heart of implementation
The Governor also stressed that implementation cannot be confined to Jalingo or government institutions.
Because flooding, deforestation, bush burning and land degradation occur at community level, climate solutions must equally reach local governments, wards, farming communities, schools and traditional institutions.
He called on citizens to see tree planting and protection, responsible waste disposal, soil conservation, protection of waterways and development of green businesses as practical forms of climate action.
A test of political commitment
The launch of the policy gives Taraba a potentially significant framework for integrating environmental sustainability into its development agenda. But its real test will be implementation.
The Governor has already identified the key benchmarks: functioning institutions, climate-responsive budgets, measurable projects, transparent reporting, restored ecosystems, resilient communities, increased renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, green jobs and access to climate finance.
For a state endowed with extensive forests, biodiversity, agricultural land, water resources and renewable-energy potential, the policy could provide a platform for turning environmental assets into sustainable economic opportunities—provided implementation matches the ambition articulated at its launch.
Kefas said the ultimate objective was to ensure that Taraba develops without destroying the natural systems upon which its economy and communities depend.
“We will protect what God has given us. We will develop without destroying. We will turn environmental responsibility into economic opportunity,” he said.
The Governor formally declared that the Taraba State Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2026 has come to stay, with implementation beginning immediately and success to be judged not by the number of policy documents produced, but by forests preserved, communities protected, investments attracted, jobs created and the future secured.
