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Taraba is a state in the North-East Region of Nigeria. The state which is known as Nature’s Gift to the Nation has more languages than 30 African countries put together. The state was created in 1991 and has Jalingo as its capital. Taraba state has 16 Local Government Areas and is home to the Mambila Plateau. Some of the languages spoken in Taraba include Jukun, Tiv, Fulfulde, Kona, Mumuye, Gbaya, Samba Daka, Yaba, Wapan etc. There are several other languages spoken in Taraba state which are not mentioned here. Looking at this, it is indeed amazing to know that the people of Taraba state have to be located in the north-east geopolitical zone of Nigeria, Taraba State was created out of the defunct Gongola State in 1991 and it is divided into sixteen local government areas which include Ardo Kola, Bali, Donga, Gashaka, Gassol, Ibi, Jalingo, Karim Lamido, Kurmi, Lau, Sardauna, Takum, Ussa, Wukari, Yorro, and Zing. History Taraba State which comprises the pre-1976 divisions of Muri, Mambilla and Wukari, was created out of the former Gongola State on 27 August 1991, by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida. The state is named after the Taraba River which transverses the southern part of the state. The state is popularly called ‘Nature’s gift to the Nation’.
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People and Culture Taraba is a highly heterogeneous, multi-ethnic state with close to eighty indigenous ethnic groups speaking different languages. Some of the major ethnic groups include Fulani, Mumuye, Jukun, Jango, Kuteb, Chamba and Mambilla. The major occupation of the people of Taraba state is agriculture, and other primary activities like fishing, pottery, cloth weaving, dyeing, matchmaking, woodcarving, embroidery and blacksmithing. There are a variety of cultural festivals mostly performed to mark harvest, initiation into manhood or womanhood, installation of rulers, marriages and other ceremonies and entertainments. Geography Covering a total of 54, 428sqkm land area, Taraba State is bordered to the east by Adamawa State, bordered to the north by Gombe, Bauchi and Plateau States, bordered to the west by Nassarawa and Benue States and Republic of Cameroon to the south. The state lies largely within the middle of Nigeria and consists of an undulating landscape dotted with a few mountainous features. The southern part of the state has the vegetation of low forest while the northern part enjoys undulating grassland. The Mambilla Plateau with an altitude of 1,800 meters (6000 ft) above sea level has a temperate climate all year round. There are some other states in Nigeria with numerous languages, but Taraba state seems to stand out for having more languages than some 30 African countries combined. Reference tarabastate.gov.ng/ cometonigeria.com/ ng.opera.news/ Featured image: Guardian Newspaper
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