NEWS
How Rural Infrastructure is Transforming Lives Across the FCT
By Jumai Ahmadu
While much attention has been given to the remarkable transformation taking place within the city centre of Abuja, perhaps one of the most impactful achievements of the current Federal Capital Territory Administration under the leadership of the Minister, Barr.
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, is the unprecedented expansion of infrastructure into rural communities and area councils.For decades, many farming communities across Abaji, Kwali, Kuje, Bwari, Gwagwalada, and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) struggled with poor road networks that limited access to markets, healthcare facilities, schools, and other economic opportunities. During the rainy season, some communities were virtually cut off, forcing farmers to watch their produce perish before reaching buyers.
Today, that narrative has changed and keeps improving.
The construction and rehabilitation of strategic roads across the area councils have opened up new economic corridors, connecting isolated communities to urban markets, and improving the livelihoods of thousands of residents, particularly farmers, who form the backbone of rural economies.
Among the projects making significant impacts are the Airport–Kuje Road, the Kuje–Gwagwalada Dual Carriageway, rural access roads in Kwali and Abaji, and the newly commissioned access road linking communities around the second runway corridor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
For many indigenous communities, these projects represent more than infrastructure; they symbolize inclusion, recognition, and economic empowerment.
Speaking on the impact of the newly completed road network, Mr. Istafanus Ishaya, an indigenous farmer from Pai Community in Kwali Area Council, noted: “For years, transporting our yam, maize, and cassava to markets in Gwagwalada and Abuja was a nightmare. Vehicles avoided our roads, and middlemen took advantage of us.
“Today, transport costs have reduced, buyers come directly to our farms, and we earn better income from our produce.”
Similarly, Mallam Ibrahim Mangalu from Kwaita Community in Abaji Area Council explained that improved road access has significantly reduced post-harvest losses.
“Before now, a substantial portion of our farm produce was lost because it could not reach the market on time. With the new roads, we can move our produce quickly, and our earnings have improved considerably.”
In Kuje Area Council, Mrs. Grace John, a groundnut farmer from Chukuku Community, described the development as life-changing.
“Our children now get to school more easily, healthcare services are more accessible, and traders come directly to our community to purchase farm produce. The road has brought development closer to us.”
Another beneficiary of the ongoing infrastructure revolution, Mr. Jude Onaria, a native of Kuje Area Council, described the completion of the Kuje–Gwagwalada Dual Carriageway as the fulfilment of a long-awaited dream.
“As someone born and raised in Kuje, seeing the construction and completion of the Kuje–Gwagwalada Road is truly a dream come true.
“This is a project that residents have heard about and waited for since the early 2000s. For many years, successive administrations talked about it, but little progress was made.
“Today, we can see and use the road. Beyond easing transportation, it has improved business activities, reduced travel time, and given residents renewed confidence that development is reaching our communities.”
His remarks reflect the sentiments of many long-time residents who view the project not merely as a road but as the fulfilment of decades of expectation and a symbol of government’s commitment to inclusive development.
For communities around Tungan Madaki, where residents had long endured the consequences of surrendering ancestral lands for the construction of the airport’s second runway, the newly commissioned access road has restored hope and connectivity.
Chief Musa Yangoji, an elder from the community, observed: “For many years, our people felt forgotten despite the sacrifices made for national development. This road has reconnected us to the rest of Abuja and opened opportunities for businesses and farmers alike.”
These testimonies reflect the experiences of many indigenous groups across the FCT, including the Gbagyi, Bassa, Gade, Gana-Gana, Koro, Egbira, and Hausa communities who have historically occupied the territory and whose livelihoods depend largely on agriculture and local commerce.
Beyond improving transportation, the road projects have stimulated economic activities, increased land values, attracted private investments, and enhanced access to social services.
Farmers can now transport produce faster and at lower costs, while traders and investors can reach communities that were previously inaccessible.
The multiplier effect of these projects is already becoming evident. Increased mobility is encouraging agricultural expansion, reducing transportation bottlenecks, creating new business opportunities, and fostering stronger economic integration between rural communities and urban markets.
As roads improve, so too do prospects for education, healthcare delivery, tourism, and overall social development.
As Abuja marks fifty years of its creation, the extension of infrastructure to rural communities stands as one of the most enduring legacies of the current Administration.
For many a resident, the transformation or rural communities speaks to the vision of President Bola Tinubu being realised through Minister Wike that all Nigerians matter and that the Renewed Hope Agenda is not just sloganeering, but a practical demonstration of good governance.
Across the six area councils, a new reality is emerging—one where roads are not merely connecting places but connecting people to opportunities, prosperity, and a renewed sense of belonging.
For many rural residents, the value of these projects is measured not by kilometres of asphalt laid but by improved livelihoods, increased incomes, easier access to markets, and the hope of a better future for their children.
As the FCT continues its journey of growth and development, the story of rural infrastructure remains one of the clearest examples of how government investment can directly improve the lives of ordinary citizens.
By bringing development closer to the people and unlocking the economic potential of rural communities, the Administration is laying the foundation for a more inclusive, prosperous, and connected Federal Capital Territory.
Dr. Jumai Ahmadu is Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department (RC&SID) of the FCTA.
jumaiabuahmadu@yahoo.com
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abuja Zonal Command, has launched Operation Sauka Lafiya, a special enforcement and public safety initiative aimed at improving road safety, strengthening traffic law enforcement, and protecting the lives and property of road users across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Niger State.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Comfort Asom, said the operation was introduced in response to the increasing volume of traffic and the persistent traffic violations contributing to road crashes, fatalities, and congestion in the FCT and surrounding areas.
She reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to its statutory mandate of ensuring safer roads through effective patrol operations, strategic enforcement, public education, and prompt emergency response. According to her, the operation is designed to reduce road traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries while ensuring the free flow of traffic on major highways and urban roads.
Asom said the initiative would intensify enforcement against traffic offences, including speed violations, mixed loading, route violations, driving without a valid licence, and other dangerous driving practices. She explained that Operation Sauka Lafiya would focus on intelligence-driven enforcement, enhanced highway patrols, speed management operations, and strict compliance with road traffic regulations.
She noted that dangerous driving behaviours remain among the leading causes of fatal crashes and urged motorists to obey traffic laws, avoid excessive speed, desist from mixed loading and route violations, and cooperate with FRSC personnel carrying out their lawful duties.
The Zonal Commanding Officer also appealed to transport operators, commercial drivers, fleet managers, and the general public to support the initiative by promoting responsible road use and reporting reckless driving.
She reaffirmed the Corps’ determination to create a safer road environment through sustained enforcement, public enlightenment, and collaboration with relevant stakeholders, stressing that road safety remains a shared responsibility.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Abuja Zonal Command, has launched Operation Sauka Lafiya, a special enforcement and public safety initiative aimed at improving road safety, strengthening traffic law enforcement, and safeguarding the lives and property of all road users in the federal capital territory and Niger state.
The Commanding Officer in charge of the Zone, Assistant Corps Marshal , Comfort Asom who stated this at the launch in Abuja said the operation was introduced in response to the increasing volume of traffic and the persistent violations that continue to contribute to road crashes, fatalities, and traffic congestion across the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding areas.
According to the Commander, the FRSC remains committed to its statutory mandate of ensuring safer roads through effective patrol operations, strategic enforcement, public education, and prompt emergency response.
According to the Zonal Commanding Officer , the operation is designed to achieve reduction in road traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries and ensuring free flow of traffic across major highways and urban roads.
“Intensify enforcement against traffic violations, including speed violations, mixed loading, route violations, driving without a valid licence, and other dangerous driving practises.”
Mrs Asom explained that Operation Sauka Lafiya would focus on intelligence-driven enforcement, enhanced highway patrols, speed management operations, and strict compliance with road traffic regulations.
“Dangerous driving behaviours remain one of the leading causes of fatal crashes and urged motorists to obey traffic laws, avoid excessive speed, desist from mixed loading and route violations, and cooperate with FRSC personnel carrying out their lawful duties.”
She however appealed to transport operators, commercial drivers, fleet managers, and the general public to support the initiative by promoting responsible road use and reporting reckless driving.
The Zonal Commanding Officer reaffirmed the Corps determination to create a safer road environment through sustained enforcement, public enlightenment, and collaboration with relevant stakeholders, emphasising that road safety is a shared responsibility.
Kayode Oyedare, Edited By Grace Namiji
From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu
The Enugu State Government will on Tuesday distribute farm inputs to 63,000 smallholder farmers across the state to boost agricultural production this farming season.
The government also approved the employment of 4,698 additional teachers for its Smart Green Schools, while also directing the activation of all its isolation centres following the outbreak of the Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and parts of Uganda, saying it did not want to be caught unawares.
These were made known to Government House correspondents after a meeting of the State Executive Council in Enugu at the weekend.
Briefing newsmen, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo; Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr. Patrick Ubru; Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah; and Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, said the Mbah Administration would continue to deliver optimal governance even during the campaign period, insisting that it has a mandate and vision to deliver.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation said, “Last year, about 40,000 farmers benefited. This year, it is even bigger and better, as the state has now approved for 63,000 farmers to receive free agricultural inputs as intervention, ranging from fertilisers to agrochemicals, free rice seeds, free maize seeds, and free pepper and tomato seeds.
“It is targeted at reducing the cost of agricultural production and ensuring that our smallholder farmers increase their income and improve their livelihoods.
“The Exco also directed that the beneficiaries of these farm inputs must be duly registered smallholder farmers who are identifiable, whose farms are captured, and can be monitored.
“So, on Tuesday, 21st July, the governor will flag off the distribution of farm inputs. Thereafter, the 260 wards will receive theirs under strict monitoring to ensure that only those identifiable as farmers benefit from the scheme to better their lives,” Ubru explained.
On his part, Prof. Mbah said the additional 4,698 teachers were to ensure that the standard for the 267 Smart Green Schools, as modelled at the Owo Campus, is fully and uniformly achieved across the state.
“Enugu State Government has further expanded and intensified its efforts to completely equip and operationalise the Centre for Experiential Learning and Innovation (CELI), which is situated within the Enugu State College of Education (Technical).
“This is a guaranteed strategy to institutionalise and ensure the sustainability of the Enugu education project, especially as it relates to the Smart Green Schools.
“This is a way to ensure that no teacher is left behind. It is also to ensure that every teacher in our Smart Green Schools passes through a thorough training programme at the centre and that they can effectively implement the type of education where our children acquire skills, not only memorise.
“CELI is also a way to support our young Enugu people who have talents, innovative skills, or who have come up with patentable ideas and solutions so that they get support to commercialise them,” Ndubueze stated.
The Commissioner for Health told newsmen that the state was taking proactive steps following the outbreak of Ebola in East Africa.
“Because countries are now regarded as a global village and considering the fact that Enugu is now a gateway state receiving direct international flights, the state government has now directed that all the isolation centres established during the time of COVID-19 should be immediately reactivated and made ready for service so that we will not have a situation we did not prepare for. This is a proactive measure for a better state of response,” he said.
He added that Exco also discussed and approved that all the expansion works going on in the state hospitals should be expedited and completed before the end of the year.
“For example, the new high-rise buildings at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital Park Lane, the teaching hospital at the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) at Igbo-Eno, among others, are now to receive extra attention, while the Enugu International Hospital will be commissioned in a matter of a few weeks,” he concluded.
Also at the press briefing were the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, and her Works and Infrastructure counterpart, Engr. Ben Osy Okoh.
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