By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), has announced plans to deploy two water buses to improve transportation for residents of riverine communities in Taraba State.

The Managing Director of the Commission, Abubakar Yelwa, disclosed this during a working visit to the state, noting that N-HYPPADEC had already delivered two operational flying boats along the Lau–Karim-Lamido and Ibi–Wukari corridors to enhance emergency response and mobility.

Other interventions highlighted by Yelwa include the installation of 34 solar-powered streetlights across various riverine communities and Jalingo metropolis, as well as the construction of 15 solar-powered boreholes to expand access to clean water.

“Taraba State occupies a uniquely important place in the N-HYPPADEC mandate. It was added to the Commission because it houses the Kashimbila Hydropower Plant, a core part of the Mambilla Plateau hydropower corridor,” Yelwa said.

He described the area as strategically significant to Nigeria’s energy future but characterized by environmentally fragile landscapes and vulnerable communities.

“N-HYPPADEC was established with a people-centered mandate to reverse ecological damage caused by hydroelectric dam operations and to promote sustainable socioeconomic development in power-producing areas. Our responsibility is to ensure that these communities are not left behind, but lifted up,” he added.

Yelwa also expressed gratitude to the Taraba State Government for its cooperation and sought partnership in identifying locations across the state for the Commission’s area offices.

Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas emphasized the importance of coordination and mutual respect in implementing interventions across the state. He thanked the Federal Government for including Taraba in the N-HYPPADEC framework and assured that the state would continue to support the Commission in fulfilling its mandate.

“While we have begun looking inward for solutions to our challenges, we remain committed to working with N-HYPPADEC to ensure these interventions reach those who need them most,” Governor Kefas stated.