TAGIS And The Facts About Taraba’s N4.2bn Master Plan

Taraba, being the nature‘s gift of the nation, is rapidly witnessing changes, especially in the area of infrastructural development, and this could not have been possible without the land friendly policies and reforms initiated by Governor Agbu Kefas‘s administration.

The establishment of the Taraba State Geographical Information System (TAGIS) and the conducive business environment created as well as the incentives put in place are enough to attract investments and investors to the state.

With the growing population of the state, coupled with the influx of investors, who are on daily basis showing interest to invest in Taraba state, necessitated the comprehensive framework that‘s regulating land administration, in term of registration, allocation, ownership and tax incentive.

In Taraba State, land is more than a physical asset. It is a foundation for identity, economic activity and a long term development planning, without which nothing can be done by a developer.

For years, successive administrations have operated in analogue, and because it land matters were paper based systems, they suffered set back as a result of scattered records and bureaucratic bottleneck, slow processes obtaining documents basically hampered it operation.

What seem to be the fate of the people, a practice that saw many indiscriminate and unapproved development on their land with no titles is now a thing of the past.

The emergence of the TAGIS, has not only reshaped what hitherto was the reality on ground, but has established a reform-driven institution at the centre of the state’s transition to digital land governance, with a refined, competent and capable team championing the affairs of TAGIS, headed by a Director General.

As the reform has continue to gather momentum with lots of success stories of its progress, a controversy has emerged in its wake to discredit and destroy the reputation TAGIS is already building and gaining for the state.

It is no longer news that the allegations linking the leadership of TAGIS to a N4.2 billion fraud have circulated widely on social media platforms, which drew public attention for scrutiny and raised the questions for accountability and transparency. Findings from recent investigations, however, point less to wrongdoing and more to a misunderstanding of institutional timelines, legal frameworks and the mechanics of government continuity.

As at the time TAGIS was not yet fully established as an agency, it operated as a Property Records Programme (PRP) coordinated by Ministry of Finance under the supervision of the Governor as it chairman, as part of the broader efforts to modernise land administration and strengthen internally generated revenue. Its origins lie in a 2022 World Bank-supported PRP project designed to digitise land data and improve record management.

With the aforementioned breakthrough recorded during the World Bank supported programme and the prospects therein, compiled Governor Agbu Kefas to transform the programme into a statutory agency, through legislative processes in July 17th, 2024.

Prior to this, there was a public hearing  at the Taraba State House of Assembly on June 13, which eventually followed by the published law establishing the agency to guide it operation on August 26, 2024. A development that unequivocally provided the legal backbone for a centralised, technology-driven land management system in the state.

This, undoubtedly set in motion a transition from analogue to digital operation, and by April 28, 2025, TAGIS had already commenced digital data capture, converting analogue land records into a unified electronic database. And within few days, precisely on May 3, Governor Agbu Kefas signed Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, formally merging the Bureau for Lands and Surveys into TAGIS.

The bureau was subsequently reconstituted as a department within the new structure (TAGIS), as a functional departments as follows: Land Administration, Physical Planning, Geographic Information Systems, ICT, and Finance and Administration.

By January 2026, the reform had reached a defining milestone, where all land transactions in Taraba State, whether purchase or sale required clearance from TAGIS to be deemed valid.

The shift marked a decisive break from the past, which reiterated the state’s commitment to transparency, efficiency and data-driven planning.

At the heart of the controversy surrounding the agency is a N4.2 billion contract tied to the Taraba State Development Master Plan, a comprehensive framework intended to guide growth across all the 16 local government areas in the state.

Investigations show that, the funds were duly appropriated and released in 2024, before TAGIS attained full operational status under its current legal framework.

The contract was awarded to an Abuja-based Brudnell Consulting Limited, with Engr. Alex Oniegbu as consultant, at a time when the initiative was still being executed as a property records programme. Initially conceived in December 2023 as the Jalingo Master Plan, the project was expanded in April 2024 to cover the entire state, including two development areas, and incorporated airborne geophysical surveys.

An interim report was however presented in November 2024 that outlined a development blueprint aimed at strengthening infrastructure, improving spatial planning and boosting investor confidence in Taraba State.

Central to the allegations is the present and pioneering Director General of TAGIS, who literally knew nothing on the deal earlier signed before assuming the office. That he is currently the occupant of the office responsible for the state development master plan, does not in anyway involved him in the N4.2 billion development plan.

However, official records indicated that the TAGIS‘s DG assumed office as TAGIS DG in October 2024, several months after the contract had already been awarded. The timeline has proved critical in assessing the claims, as it places the award and initial execution of the project outside his tenure.

Sources familiar with the process insist that the contract predates both his appointment and the present institutional configuration of TAGIS, making it untenable to link him to the award.

This is against the drop of the claims circulating on social media suggesting that the TAGIS boss is under investigation or evading arrest, have also been dismissed as baseless and defamatory.

The situation underscores a key principle in public administration that government is a continuum. When the Bureau for Lands and Surveys was merged into TAGIS in May 2025, all its contracts, records and obligations were legally transferred to the new agency. This ensured that all ongoing projects, including the master plan, remained intact and enforceable despite the structural transition. It is a fact that, within the framework, TAGIS inherited responsibility for administering existing agreements.
However, official records clarifies that, administrative oversight does not equate to personal custody. The Director General does not hold contract files, rather, his role is to ensure that processes are followed, documentation is properly reviewed and all activities are comply with the legal and administrative standards.
Beyond the immediate controversy, TAGIS represents one of the most ambitious governance reforms in Taraba State in recent years. By integrating land administration, urban planning and geospatial intelligence into a single digital platform.
With this, the state is now positioning itself for more efficient service delivery, improved revenue generation and sustainable development.
As with most large-scale reforms, scrutiny is inevitable. While public interest in governance should be encouraged,
While it is important to encourage scrutiny inline with public interest in governance, as with the large scale reforms, it is also imperative mischief makers to desist from spreading unverified information that could erode trust in public institutions
The unfolding TAGIS story is ultimately one of transition, of a state moving from analogue systems to digital precision, from fragmented processes to institutional coherence. It is also a reminder that in periods of change, perception can often outpace reality.
For Taraba State, the success of TAGIS will depend not only on the robustness of its technology or the clarity of its legal framework, but also on its ability to sustain public confidence.
In the end, transparency, due process and clear communication may prove just as important as the digital systems now redefining how land is governed.