Taraba State
Taraba State is a state in North East Nigeria. The state consists of beautiful landscapes and high mountain ranges like the Gotel Mountains and Mambilla Plateau ranges, which serve as sources of numerous rivers and streams like the Donga and Taraba rivers. Tea is grown around the Mabilla region. The largest people group here is the Jukun, which is made up of various subgroups.
Other destinations
Understand
Taraba state was founded during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida in 1991, the state was created from the former Gongola State.
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.
Taraba State's economy is characterized by agriculture which is the most popular and major occupation in Taraba state. Cash crops produced in the state include coffee, tea, groundnuts and cotton. cCrops such as maize, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, and yam are also produced in commercial quantity. Cattle, sheep and goats are reared in large numbers, especially on the Mambilla Plateau, and along the Benue and Taraba valleys.
The state was named after the Taraba River. The people who habit in Taraba state are Fulanis, Jukun, Chamba, Kuteb, and the Ichen, these people stay in the southern region of the state while the northern region of the state is comprised of Wurkum, Mumuye, and Kona tribes.
Taraba state has a total population of 2,294,800, according to the population census conducted in Nigeria in the year 2006, it also has 54,473 km2 (21,032 sq mi).
Get in
By plane
- 🌍 Jalingo Airport (LOS IATA), Jauro Shofo, Jalingo, Taraba State, ☏ +234 813 437 6111. You can fly in from any local state in Nigeria like Lagos, Benin City, Oredo,Akure and others. Jalingo Airport (ICAO: DNJA) was renamed Danbaba Danfulani Suntai Airport. Travellers and visitors coming in to Jalingo might want to travel using this airport. The Jalingo airport passed through a serious upgrading that was completed in 2014. The airport can be accessed directly by a number of local airlines from different parts of the country. The total cost of travelling to Jalingo by air from different places within Nigeria is approximately ₦18,000.
Arrivals
The Jalingo Airport caters for local travels (travels within Nigeria) only. The process is normal, after booking your ticket and you arrive at the airport, of course, you will pass through some screenings, which might be time taking at times, and once you are cleared, you will then board the plane.
By bus
Different transport companies offer transportation from any part of Nigeria to Taraba State. All you need to do is to get to the bus garage of wherever state you are, ask someone (of course you need to be sure to ask the right person) to direct you to where the Taraba Bus is, and once you see the bus, you pay the fare and the bus takes you straight to Taraba.
Get around
Getting around in Taraba state is not a difficult thing, you just need to get into a bus or cab plying your route, and you can easily get around in Taraba state. Notable among these road Transport Companies include; the Waidun Ahadun Transport Company and the Mallam Mohammed Transport services with a Bus Park located at no 18 Majidadi Road and another terminal/bus park at the Millionaire street in the Government Reserved Area axis of Jalingo, Taraba State respectively. The cost of moving around in Taraba state is fairly Okay.
See
The state has a lot of places that could be a center of attraction for tourists, places that every tourist to Taraba State should endeavor to visit.
- Mambilla Plateau, Jalingo, Taraba State. Mambilla Plateau is a plateau in the Taraba State of Nigeria
- Marmara Crocodile Pond, Wukari, Taraba State. The Marmara crocodile pond is situated in Wukari and is reputed to be an ancient pond full of legendary crocodiles which are largely sighted on Fridays. There is a fable making the rounds that these crocodiles in ancient times went into town to pay homage to Aku Uka, the supreme head of the Jukuns. If you’re ever in Taraba State, then you mustn’t leave until you’ve seen this legendary crocodile that lives at peace with animals and humans without hurting anyone
- Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Taraba State. This is the largest National Park in Nigeria. It is a place every tourist to Taraba State must ensure they visit, it is home to various flora and fauna that is capable of really fascinating visitors. It is a must visit for tourist to Taraba state.
- Donga River Basin Forest, Taraba State. It is largely lowland and one of the best lowland forests used for bird-watching in the country. There are over 190 bird species in this river basic forest, and here you can be certain of seeing rare birds like the forest francolin, dusky long-tailed cuckoo, white-belied kingfisher, spotted honey guide, hartlaub’s duck, green hyla, African pied hornbill, and the red-headed malimbe among others.
Do
- Asamu Festival: There is a popular annual festival that takes place in Jalingo. It is a festival held yearly in Kona-Jalingo Local Government Area, Taraba State
- The Nwonyo Fishing Festival: This is a fishing festival of the Ibi Local government people in Taraba State, which is usually held in April of each year. Nwonyo means 'Hideout' for different aquatics. Some activities which the Fishing Festival comprises of are:
- Boat Racing
- Swimming
- Boat Regatta
- Masquerade Dances
- Traditional Dances, and
- The Fish-Catch Competition is the main event.
- The Puje Festival: Another interesting festival you shouldn’t leave Taraba State without going for.
Other festivals are Purma of the Chamba in Donga, Takum and Jibu culture dance in Bali, the Tagba of Acha People in Takum, Kuchecheb of Kutebs in Takum and Ussa, Kati of the Mambilla and host of others.
Eat
Taraba state people are well known for local dishes such as the Tuwo Shinkafa, Fura, and Suya.
In some parts of Taraba state like the Wukari town, food can be bought from roadside vendors, food hawkers, and also eateries or restaurants. The City has a good number of eateries where visitors and travelers to the State can purchase a variety of indigenous as well as foreign delicacies.
Drink
If you want to take any drink in Taraba state, you make your way to any bar or restaurant around, sit, order your drink and have a good time. However, there are some drinks peculiar to Taraba state such as:
Kunu, also known as "kununzaki": a popular drink that is made from grains such as millet, sorghum, and maize. When it is made from sorghum, it is a milky light-brown colour. When it is made from millet or maize, it is whitish.
Kunun gyada, also known as "groundnut milk", is a light porridge made from raw groundnuts and rice. It is similar to akamu/pap/ogi, which is consumed in the southwestern region of the country.
Zobo: This is a popular drink mostly taken cold. It is made from dried Roselle plant flowers. The bright red drink is made from a boiled combination of dried Roselle plant, ginger and pineapple. Some might add sugar to taste.
Fura da nono: Fura is millet dough balls. The word 'Nono' in Hausa means "cow’s milk". To make fura da nono, the millet dough balls are added to the cow's milk or yoghurt, and sugar is added to taste.
Connect
Some places in Taraba state have good network connections for 2G/3G/4G Networks, some do not. If you are touring Taraba State, you should ensure you go with MTN, 9Mobile, Airtel (Zain), and GLO are all available service providers you can lay your hands on because you cannot be sure of the network that will be working perfectly, so you need to take different Networks along, so you are not stranded.