The struggles of the Kuchibuyi community in Bwari, within Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), starkly highlight the pressing infrastructural neglect faced by rural areas in the nation’s capital.
Development Diaries reports that community residents face numerous challenges, including the absence of basic amenities, dilapidated primary school infrastructure, and the lack of a nearby junior secondary school, according to findings by Daily Trust.
It is understood that the only government presence is a block of classrooms at a primary school inherited from Niger State.
According to the district head of the community, Malam Isiaka Dauda, one of the school’s classroom blocks did not have any furniture, including chairs, and the third had been shut for more than six years after its roof collapsed.
What is even more heartbreaking is that after finishing primary school, children in the community are forced to endure long, exhausting treks to distant places like Kubwa town, Byazhin, Guto, and Bwari town just to continue their secondary education.
Such conditions compromise their safety and also threaten their right to equitable and accessible education.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Bwari Area Council need to urgently address this educational gap by constructing a junior secondary school in the area, as advocated by Malam Dauda.
According to its mandate, the FCT Education Secretariat is expected to make sure that the Federal Ministry of Education’s educational policies are tailored to the needs of the FCT in terms of providing educational access and efficiently implementing the national curriculum.
Beyond education, the lack of an access road to Kuchibuyi further isolates the community, compounding its socio-economic challenges.
The poor road connectivity is hindering residents from accessing basic services and opportunities and also impeding the area’s potential for development.
The Supervisory Councillor for Education, Yunusa Hamza, aptly highlighted the importance of a proper road network, which could significantly improve residents’ quality of life and integrate Kuchibuyi into the broader economic activities of Kubwa and Bwari.
Therefore, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, needs to prioritise road infrastructure in the community as part of his ongoing road project initiatives.
Transforming Kuchibuyi and similar communities within the FCT requires a comprehensive approach that includes building roads, establishing schools, and providing essential amenities to improve lives and foster development.
Development Diaries calls on the FCT Minister, Wike, to ensure that the FCTA and the Bwari Area Council immediately allocate resources for the construction of a junior secondary school in Kuchibuyi. The FCT Education Secretariat must ensure that existing primary school infrastructure is refurbished, including providing furniture for classrooms and repairing the collapsed block.
The minister should also prioritise the construction of access roads to Kuchibuyi as part of ongoing road project initiatives. Improved road connectivity will not only enhance residents’ access to essential services but also stimulate economic integration with nearby communities like Kubwa and Bwari.
Photo source: Daily Trust
