TSPJESD Journal | Vol 1 No. 1 | May, 2017 RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES IN TARABA STATE. By Victor Ukpo and Abaji Peter Taraba State Polytechnic Suntai, Jalingo Campus Abstract This paper seeks to examine the socio-economic importance of renewable and non- renewable resources in Taraba state and how it has been underutilized. The paper has the objective of identifying renewable and non-renewable resources in Taraba state as well as highlighting the prospects and potentials of these resources in Taraba state. The state has about 16 local government areas. In the course of the study, both primary and secondary data were gathered. Findings shows that the state is endowed with vast untapped renewable and non-renewable resources, which would have better the state socio-economically out of her present situation given that the resources are effectively and efficiently utilized. The paper recommends that the government should enforce a realistic and appropriate environmental and natural resource management policy so as to obtain the benefits therein for socio-economic development of the state. Key words: socio-economic, renewable resources, non-renewable resources. INTRODUCTION major driver of the economy's socio- Historically, natural resources, is it economic development becomes obvious renewable or non-renewable played the role when the availability of natural resources, of the main driver of the economics of their uses and historical socio-economic and Nations (Dendney and Flavin, 114). technological development of countries is Similarly, the availability of natural compared. From the above assertion, we can resources became the major condition of the confidently re-emphasize that the socio- successful economic and technological economic importance of the renewable and development of other world powers non-renewable resources in Taraba state including the United States, France, cannot be over-emphasized. Germany and others (Kraft and Taraba state was created on August 27, Kameniecky, 158). At the same time, the 1991 out of the defunct Gongola. The state significant role of Natural resources as the comprises of sixteen local government 88 TSPJESD Journal | Vol 1 No. 1 | May, 2017 PUBLICATION OF TARABA STATE POLYTECHNIC, SUNTAI TSPJESD Journal | Vol 1 No. 1 | May, 2017 areas, which are; Ardo-kola, Bali, Donga, The highest point in the state is the Mambila Gashaka, Gassol, Ibi, Jalingo, Karim Plateau which stands at well over 1830 lamido, Kurmi, Lau, Sardauna, Takum, meters above sea level confirming it as the Ussa, Wukari, Yorro, Zing. It also has a highest in the country. Mambila Plateau has development area; Yangtu. The state has a a near temperature climate in an otherwise land area of approximately 60,000 square tropical zone, and plains. The favourable kilometers, with the residence ignorantly climatic condition in the area is ideal for sitting upon over forty (40) untapped natural large-scale cultivation of some cash crops resources. like tea and coffee as well as “Irish Taraba state has an enviable potatoes”, wheat, pear, kola nut, apple, topography that is made up wave like plains grape vines etc. one rich endowment of the ad rising hills. The state is situated along Mambila Plateau is the over 3,000,000 herds rivers, one of which is the River Benue of cattle being grazed in the area as such which rises from Cameroun Republic possessing the greatest potential for any towards the River Niger southwards. Major prospective meat production and tributaries of the state include Taraba (from processing, dairy activities as well as leather which it the state got its name) and River works. Donga. These rivers apart from just being STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM irrigation means also serve as source of fish, The state is facing serious socio- making fishing an occupation of many in the economic and political problems and state. Generally, it is blessed with a land challenges. The incidence of poverty fertile enough for all round year farming increased from 28.1% in 1980 to 65.5% in which is attainable in some parts of the state. 1996 and 75% by 2005 (UNFPA, 2008). The state is also endowed with numerous More current studies revealed that about natural non-renewable resources like 70% of the population lives below $1 per barites, calcite, gold, kaolin, tin ore etc day while about 91% of the population lives (NBS 2014). below $2 per day (ECN & UNDP, 2012). The climate of Taraba is characterized The State is solely dependent on subvention by two (2) different seasons; the rainy from federation account to meet its season (usually from April to October) and development and expenditure at the neglect the dry season (usually from November to of other resources. March) (Abdul, 2009). With an average Taraba State known as “nature's gift to rainfall annually of 1,350mm, it is certain the nation” is not just a fluke because for real agriculture activities will blossom. It also Taraba State is really endowed with diverse has an annual temperature of around 280C. natural resources both renewable and non- 89 TSPJESD Journal | Vol 1 No. 1 | May, 2017 PUBLICATION OF TARABA STATE POLYTECHNIC, SUNTAI TSPJESD Journal | Vol 1 No. 1 | May, 2017 renewable. Yet Taraba state is still amongst renewable and non-renewable resources and the poorest and less developed state in the their impacts on Taraba state. country in terms of both infrastructures and ii. To evaluate the prospects and socio-economic indicators. The presence of potentials of renewable and non- the Mambilla Plateau is also known as the renewable resources in Taraba state. habitat of wild animals, forest resources and iii. To analyze the problems associated even solid minerals. As a result of this, with harnessing and the usage of Taraba state is expected to be among the renewable and non-renewable resources richest states in the country and contribute in Taraba state. hugely to the nation's GDP, and also give LITERATURE REVIEW good standard of living to its populace. Renewable and Nonrenewable Over the years, there has been yearning resources have unique characteristics. In the from various stake holders, academicians, case of non-renewable resources their rate of research experts, engineers, non- growth is zero and they are eventually governmental organizations and others that exhausted when extracted and used as a knows how endowed the state is in terms of productive input. This implies that their both natural, human and environmental contribution to economic growth is mixed. resources which are yet to be identified and The traditional way of analyzing growth and harnessed to better the populace of the state. natural resources is to include them in the This is due to the fact that the state has production function as an input. The refused to stop being a “civil service” state, neoclassical model of growth is compatible despite the resources which could have with this approach, see, for example, Stiglitz triggered the state and its people to better (1974), Dasgupta and Heal (1979), living. Therefore, it is against this Hamilton and Hartwick (2005), and Romer background that this paper attempts to (2006). The key assumption is that natural examine the socio-economic importance of resources are an essential input into renewable and non-renewable resources in production. That is, there can be no Taraba state. production without the resource in question, OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY such as coal, oil, or gas, agricultural The general objective of this paper is resources and others. to assess the socio-economic importance of Dasgupta and Heal (1979, Ch. 7) renewable and non-renewable resources in provide a detailed explanation of what Taraba state. The specific objectives of the constitute essential and inessential paper will include: exhaustible resources and their importance. i. To determine the available They argue that if the output of the economy 90 TSPJESD Journal | Vol 1 No. 1 | May, 2017 PUBLICATION OF TARABA STATE POLYTECHNIC, SUNTAI TSPJESD Journal | Vol 1 No. 1 | May, 2017 is sufficient in the absence of a resourcein alternative measure of resource which case, a lack of that resource does not dependence. Boschini et al. (2003) used pose a production problemthat resource is various measures to obtain similar results. inessential. However, with this, theoretical They used the share of primary-product approach to analyzing the socio-economic exports in GNP, the value of ores and metals importance of natural resources have been exports as a share of GDP, the share of applied for many years. Sachs and Warner mineral production in GNP, the value of (1995, 1997) developed a useful empirical gold, silver, and diamond production as a approach to addressing the issue of resource share of GDP and the value of ore, metals, dependence. Building on the Dutch disease and fuels exports as a share of GDP. literature, they devised the notion of the However, none of their measures comprises resource curse. The Dutch disease refers to a all nonrenewable resources, that is, fuels, situation in which the discovery of natural ores, metals, precious stones, and resources shrinks the economy's nonmonetary gold. They concluded that manufacturing sector and lowers its institutions and the natural resources a international competitiveness by raising the country possesses are key determinants of real exchange rate (Corden and Neary, whether it has a resource curse. They argue 1982). The resource curse phenomenon that exhaustible resources such as gold, means that resource dependence tends to diamonds, and oil are expected to have a lower economic growth. negative effect on economic growth in Sachs and Warner (1995, 1997) countries with weak institutions. conducted a cross-section empirical study Institutional quality emerged as the main for the period 19701989. Their findings reason for natural resources having a suggest that resource-rich economies tend to negative effect on economic growth.