Mambilla tea factory, a pivot of rural development

The Mambilla Plateau tea factory, located in Kakara village of Sardauna Local Government Council of Taraba state, which had been abandoned in the past 20 years, has resumed production. It is now generating revenue for the state and reducing youth unemployment.

Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku, who is determined to bring changes that positively impact citizens of the State, revived the moribund industry.
The Guardian found out that apart from completing the abandoned 400-kilowatt hydro power dam, which now made power available to operate effectively, plans had been concluded by the state government to construct an additional 330 Kilowatt hydro power dam in the same vicinity.
The presence of stable power in the area, has not only injected life into the tea factory, which is popularly known as Highland tea, but had as well led to explosion of business activities in the community. Most of the youths, who have, in the past, been jobless and indulging in various vices have now engaged themselves in various trades, which include charging of handset batteries, hair barbing and dressing among others.
Admitting that the company had, in the past 20 years, been dead, but has now began to generate funds for the state, the governor said the existence of peace in the area made it possible to take development to the area.
Rural communities, who wants to attract the state government attention and presence, according to Ishaku “ must first of all, give me peace, and I would in turn reciprocate by giving them development,” stating that “ because I will not invest in any part of the state, where peace is lacking.”
Collaborating the governor, the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abel Peter Diah, who hails from that council, told The Guardian, “it is impossible for any investor to throw his or her money in crisis area,” hence the need for the people of the state irrespective of religion, ethnic and political party affiliations “ to give helping hands to our governor, so that all the developments that had eluded us in the past can be made.”
The Guardian observed that the presence of the tea factory and electric power is already reducing the drift of young people to the urban areas, and attracting people, even from far.
A youth leader, Ndoti Gabriel said, “ As far as we are now concerned, the idea of leaving this place to Jalingo city or any other city in search of job, is now a thing of the past because what we are looking for in Sokoto had been made available to us here in our community.”
One of the village heads of the council, Jauro Usmane, was of the view that the “ kind of development that embrace peaceful societies can never be compared to the level of destructions that crisis often brings.”
Stressing their readiness to jealously protect the tea factory and its newly installed machines, including the dam, the community desires peaceful co-existence for good things to flow into the community.
Senior Special Adviser to the governor on Media Matters, Sylvanus Giwa said that other plans are soon to be rolled out so that there would be all-round development provided there is peace.