Plateau Revives Agriculture Amid Insecurity Challenges — Governor Mutfwang

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has reaffirmed Plateau State’s commitment to restoring its agricultural heritage as part of efforts to rebuild livelihoods, diversify the economy, and secure lasting peace after decades of violent conflict.

The pledge comes after a Fact-Finding Committee reported that 420 communities had been attacked and nearly 12,000 people killed in assaults spanning more than 20 years.

Presenting the findings in Jos, Committee Chairman Major General Rogers Nicholas (rtd.) described the violence as “coordinated, the motives deliberate, and the sequences devastating.” He explained how militias exploit porous borders with Nasarawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Taraba to launch strikes and retreat unchallenged.

Receiving the report, Governor Mutfwang vowed to implement its recommendations and submit it to President Bola Tinubu and national security agencies “to enable them have an insight and true story behind the decades of violence in the State for a durable solution.” He stressed that “it is only the truth that can set people free” and warned that no one would be above the law.

Beyond security, the governor highlighted agriculture as “the backbone of our prosperity agenda,” telling the Nigerian Guild of Editors that reviving farmlands, adopting technology, and developing value chains would “restore confidence and provide alternatives to conflict.”

To drive this agenda, Plateau is partnering with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and reviving the once-thriving BARC Farms. Plans include improving livestock breeds, producing local feed, establishing a modern abattoir, and expanding irrigation schemes to enable year-round cultivation of vegetables and grains suited to the state’s temperate climate.

Mutfwang said his administration would promote “innovative measures to boost processing, storage, and market access so that Plateau produce like potatoes, maize, vegetables, flowers, and fruits can compete nationally and internationally.”

On security, the state is recruiting 1,000 youths into Operation Rainbow, its community-based security outfit, to provide early warning and rapid response in rural areas. Nicholas emphasized the urgency of this step, pointing to bandit cells in Nasarawa and extremist incursions in Wase and Kanam, with communities consistently identifying armed Fulani militias and cross-border herder groups as key aggressors.

The government is also prioritizing infrastructure to support agricultural commerce, including rural road rehabilitation across 17 local government areas under the World Bank-assisted RAMP project, and lobbying for completion of the Jos-Bauchi-Gombe highway. Complementary projects include building a modern central market in Jos and expanding storage facilities to curb post-harvest losses, linking farmers directly to buyers and reducing middlemen exploitation.

To groom future agri-entrepreneurs, the administration has cut tuition fees for Plateau indigenes in tertiary institutions by 50%, tripled scholarship funding, and retooled technical colleges to teach agribusiness, irrigation, and modern animal husbandry. “Our young people must see agriculture as profitable, not as drudgery,” Mutfwang said.

The Nigerian Guild of Editors, led by its president Eze Anaba, praised Mutfwang’s “visionary, people-focused leadership” and peace-building drive, noting the revival of The Standard newspaper to tell Plateau’s story from within.

For many residents weary of years of violence, the governor’s twin focus on security and agricultural renewal signals hope. “Our goal is simple,” Mutfwang declared, “to rise above years of crisis into a new era of peace, prosperity, and productivity, an era where every farmer, every trader, every child can dream again.”