JALINGO — Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has challenged students and graduates in the state to deploy their knowledge, skills and creativity towards transforming the state’s abundant natural and agricultural resources into sustainable prosperity.
Governor Kefas gave the charge during the combined 17th to 45th convocation ceremony of the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Jalingo.
The governor, who was represented at the ceremony by the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. John Kizito Bonzena, said Taraba is richly endowed with vast agricultural land, water resources, solid minerals, forests and other economic opportunities that could be harnessed to improve the lives of the people.
He stressed that education must go beyond the acquisition of certificates and should equip graduates with the knowledge and practical skills required to solve problems, create wealth and contribute meaningfully to the development of society.
According to the governor, young people, particularly graduates of agriculture, science and technology-related disciplines, have an important role to play in unlocking the economic potential of Taraba State.
He urged the graduands to see themselves not merely as job seekers but as innovators, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers capable of establishing businesses, creating employment and adding value to locally available resources.
Governor Kefas noted that the state’s abundant resources would translate into meaningful prosperity only when knowledge, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship are deliberately applied to their development.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education and human capital development, describing investment in young people as critical to building a productive, self-reliant and prosperous Taraba State.
The governor congratulated the graduands on the successful completion of their programmes and charged them to put the knowledge and skills acquired at the institution to productive use.
The combined convocation brought together graduands, parents, academics, government officials and other stakeholders to celebrate the academic achievements of students of the institution.
With Taraba’s enormous agricultural and natural-resource potential, the governor’s message underscored the need to move beyond the production of raw materials towards processing, value addition, entrepreneurship and job creation within the state.
