By Adamu Abdullahi
The cries of “Our road must be fixed!” echoed through Gaube Community in Kuje Area Council yesterday, as members of the What About Us Social Movement (WAU) joined residents in a rally that exposed the dire state of rural roads across Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This was not just another protest. It was a coordinated campaign across multiple councils Gaube in Kuje, Leleyi Gwari in Kwali, Zhiko in Bwari, and Gofidna in AMAC all united by one demand: immediate rehabilitation of dilapidated rural roads.
The Communities Left Behind Gaube, Kuje: Residents marched along cratered roads, chanting for urgent repairs.
Leleyi Gwari, Kwali: Farmers say crops rot before reaching markets due to impassable routes.Zhiko, Bwari Students, struggle to reach schools, often trekking long distances.Gofidna, AMAC: Traders report losses as transport costs soar.
Investigations reveal that while Abuja’s urban districts enjoy steady infrastructure upgrades, rural communities remain neglected.
The disparity is stark: billions are allocated annually for FCT development, yet rural roads remain unpaved, eroded, and unsafe.
Experts argue this neglect undermines, economic activity: Farmers and traders cannot access markets efficiently.
Education access: Students face daily risks commuting on unsafe roads, Healthcare delivery, Emergency services struggle to reach patients in time. Bulus Miracle Ayenajeyi, WAU’s Bwari Coordinator, signed the press release, stressing:“Residents of rural communities deserve the same attention to infrastructure development as those living in urban parts of the nation’s capital.
”Community members echoed frustration, insisting they want action, not promises.
The advocacy campaign directly challenges the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and other officials to prioritize rural road rehabilitation. WAU is demanding, a comprehensive assessment of rural roads across all six Area Councils.Concrete rehabilitation projects to ensure safe, accessible networks.
Transparent timelines for delivery, not vague assurances.Review of past FCT budgets shows repeated allocations for “rural infrastructure,” yet many communities report no visible projects.
Where did the funds go? Why are rural residents still cut off from basic services?
This raises pressing questions about government accountability and whether rural voices are systematically sidelined in Abuja’s development agenda.The Road Ahead the WAU movement vows to sustain pressure until tangible repairs begin.
For Gaube and other affected communities, the message is clear: they will not relent until bulldozers arrive and rehabilitation starts.
