Constituency Profile

An overview of Taraba Central Senatorial District: five local government areas spanning Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone.

Taraba Central Senatorial District is made up of five local government areas: Bali, Gashaka, Gassol, Kurmi, and Sardauna, in Taraba State, in Nigeria’s North East geopolitical zone.

At a Glance

Detail	Information
Senatorial district	Taraba Central
LGAs	Bali, Gashaka, Gassol, Kurmi, Sardauna
State	Taraba (capital: Jalingo)
Region	North East Nigeria
Combined area (approx.)	~30,000 km²
Combined population (2006 census)	~716,000 residents across the 5 LGAs
Notable landmark	Mambilla Plateau: Nigeria’s highest point (~1,830 m)
Notable protected area	Gashaka-Gumti National Park (Nigeria’s largest national park)
Major rivers	Benue, Taraba, Donga
Principal crops	Yam, rice, maize, sorghum, millet, highland tea, coffee

Population figures from the 2006 Nigerian National Population Commission census. All Nigerian census figures carry known margin-of-error caveats.

Local Government Areas

Gassol LGA

Headquarters: Mutum-Biyu · Area: 5,548 km²

Population (2006 census): 244,749,the most populous LGA in the district and in all of Taraba State. Headquarters of the senator's home constituency.

Sits along the Benue River, with the Taraba River flowing north through the LGA to their confluence. Major agricultural hub, the Fulani, Wurkun, and Jukun communities cultivate yam and rear cattle here, and the Dan-Anacha yam market is reputed to be the largest in Taraba State.

🌾 Fun fact: The Dan-Anacha weekly yam market in Gassol is the largest yam market in Taraba State, drawing traders from across the state and neighbouring Benue to buy and sell thousands of tubers every market day.

Sardauna LGA

Headquarters: Gembu · Area: ~6,200 km²

Population: ~184,731. Located at the extreme south-east of Taraba State, bordering Cameroon. The LGA sits on the Mambilla Plateau, at approximately 1,830 metres above sea level, the highest plateau in Nigeria, which gives it a cool highland climate distinct from the rest of the district.

Major ethnic groups include the Chamba, Mambilla, Kaka, and Ndola peoples. The Mambilla Plateau is the centre of Nigeria's highland tea and coffee production.

🍃 Fun fact: Sardauna is the only LGA in Nigeria where tea is commercially grown, the Mambilla Plateau's altitude creates a cool, misty microclimate ideal for tea cultivation.

African savanna, representative of Gashaka-Gumti National Park wildlife habitat

Gashaka LGA

Headquarters: Serti · Area: 8,393 km²

Population (2006 census): 87,781. Headquarters in Serti town. The Fulani language is the major spoken tongue in the area, which has 10 administrative wards. Gashaka's climate is tropical savannah, with about 148 rainy days per year.

Home to the largest part of Gashaka-Gumti National Park, at 6,731 km², the largest national park in Nigeria, which protects chimpanzees, lions, elephants, hippos, and hundreds of bird species.

🦁 Fun fact: Gashaka-Gumti is Nigeria's last confirmed habitat for wild lions and is home to one of West Africa's largest chimpanzee populations.

Bali LGA

Headquarters: Bali · Area: 9,146 km²

Population (2006 census): ~211,024. Tropical savannah climate, average temperature 33 °C. Major ethnic groups include the Jibawa, Tiv, Chamba, Mumuye, and Fulani. Key agricultural crops are millet, rice, and onions. Crafts including mat-making and pottery are traditional economic activities.

River Taraba flows through Bali LGA, supporting fishing communities and small-scale irrigation farming.

🏺 Fun fact: Bali is known for its traditional pottery, local craftspeople produce hand-fired clay pots used in cooking and storage across the region.

Kurmi LGA

Headquarters: Ba'Issa · Area: ~4,400 km²

Population (2006 census): 91,531. Established in October 1996 during the Abacha administration. Kurmi is often cited as one of Taraba State's most agriculturally productive LGAs, with fertile land supporting rice, maize, and yam cultivation, contributing significantly to Taraba's food output. Home to large forest reserves that form part of the state's biodiversity corridor.

🌿 Fun fact: Kurmi is regarded as one of the richest LGAs in Taraba for agricultural potential, its fertile soil yields crops that supply markets across the state and beyond.

Population data from the 2006 Nigerian National Population Commission census. Area figures from Wikipedia / geospatial data. All Nigerian census data carries acknowledged margin-of-error caveats.

Map

The map below shows the approximate position of Taraba Central Senatorial District within Taraba State, North East Nigeria.

Geography and Economy

Gassol, His Excellency’s home LGA, headquartered in Mutum-Biyu, sits along the Benue River and is the most populous in the district, known for yam and livestock production. Sardauna LGA, headquartered in Gembu, contains the Mambilla Plateau, the highest plateau in Nigeria at approximately 1,830 metres above sea level, and is the center of the country’s highland tea and coffee production.

Bali and Gashaka are among the two largest LGAs by land area in the district. Gashaka is home to most of the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria’s largest protected area, covering over 6,700 km². Kurmi LGA is known for its exceptional agricultural fertility, contributing a significant share of Taraba’s food production.

Agriculture is the backbone of the local economy across the Taraba Central Senatorial district, consistent with the wider state, where it employs the majority of the working-age population.

Sources

Gassol LGA: Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassol
Sardauna LGA: Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardauna,_Taraba_State
Gashaka LGA: Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gashaka
Bali LGA: Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali,_Nigeria; Manpower Nigeria LGA profiles. manpower.com.ng/places/lga/766/bali
Kurmi LGA: Nigerian Finder. nigerianfinder.com/list-of-local-governments-in-taraba-state
Gashaka-Gumti National Park: Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gashaka_Gumti_National_Park; UNESCO Tentative World Heritage List. whc.unesco.org
Mambilla Plateau: Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mambilla_Plateau
Population figures: 2006 National Population Commission census, as cited in individual Wikipedia LGA articles. All Nigerian census data carries known margin-of-error caveats and figures may differ across sources.
Taraba Central Senatorial District composition: Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraba_Central_Senatorial_District
Images: All LGA card photos from Pexels (free to use, no attribution required under the Pexels License).