Voice of yobeans: “we are witnessing real change”

Voice of Yobeans: “We are witnessing real change”

By Hussaini Ibrahim

Residents across Yobe State are lending their voices to what many describe as a gradual but far-reaching transformation under the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni, citing improvements in roads, healthcare, markets, water supply, youth engagement and economic recovery, particularly in communities once ravaged by insurgency.

This report is based on a series of interviews conducted by a Daily Hint correspondent during a media tour of projects across the state, led by the Yobe State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Hon. Abdullahi Bego, as part of activities marking Governor Buni’s six years in office.

From Gujba to Yunusari, Damaturu and other local government areas, residents spoke candidly about how government interventions are reshaping their daily lives.

Grassroots Testimonies from Gujba

The Executive Chairman of Gujba Local Government Area, Hon. Dala Mala, commended Governor Buni for what he described as giant strides in healthcare delivery, water infrastructure, market development and youth-focused projects across the council.

According to him, the governor’s interventions include the construction of a water treatment plant and reticulation system, a modern market, township mini stadium, improved road networks, drainage systems and agricultural support programmes, among other people-oriented projects executed over the past six years.

Hon. Mala spoke alongside the Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Abubakar Yerima, while interacting with media executives and practitioners during the tour in Buni Yadi. The delegation also included the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Ahmed Buba.

“People at the grassroots have witnessed massive and impactful transformation too numerous to mention,” Mala said. He specifically thanked Governor Buni for approving the judicious use of local government funds for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the dilapidated Buni Yadi Government Lodge, now fully furnished and ready for commissioning.

He further praised the construction of the water treatment plant and reticulation project in Buni Gari and surrounding communities, noting that it has significantly reduced the perennial water shortage that previously affected domestic and livestock needs.

‘Before, Floods Washed Away Our Village’

Among the voices captured during the tour was that of an elderly woman from a flood-prone community in Gujba, who emotionally praised the governor for the construction of roads and drainage channels in her area.

“Before these roads, when rain fell, water would wash through our village,” she said. “We lost houses and farms. Sometimes, whole sections of the community were cut off. Today, the road has protected us. The water now flows away. Governor Buni has saved our village.”

Her testimony echoed similar accounts from other residents who said road and drainage projects have reduced erosion, improved mobility and protected livelihoods.

Healthcare Upgrade Saving Lives

On healthcare, Hon. Mala highlighted the upgrade of the Buni Yadi health facility to a Specialists Hospital, describing it as a critical intervention already yielding results, particularly in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.

Providing further details, Dr. Abubakar Yerima explained that the upgrade covered several key units, including the Accident and Emergency Unit, maternity and labour rooms, amenity wards, theatre complex, General Outpatients Department, as well as doctors’ and staff quarters.

“With the establishment of a Specialists Hospital, we are now able to handle severe cases, including insurgency-related injuries and other critical health conditions,” Yerima said, adding that the facility, executed by indigenous contractors, has reduced the burden of referrals outside the area.

A nursing mother interviewed at the facility said, “Before, we travelled far for serious cases. Now, treatment is close and affordable.”

Youth Engagement and Agriculture

Hon. Mala also praised the township mini stadium being constructed by Damuli Engineering Company Limited in Buni Yadi, describing it as a vital post-insurgency project that will engage youths in sports and promote unity.

Farmers across the council also attributed last season’s bumper harvest to improved access roads and the provision of agricultural inputs.

“When roads are good, we reach our farms easily and take our produce to the market on time,” one farmer said.

Urban Renewal and Legacy Projects

Statewide, the Yobe State Government has constructed over 100 roads linking towns and villages across the 17 local government areas. In Damaturu, a multi-billion-naira flyover and underpass project is nearing completion.

Speaking during the tour, Hon. Abdullahi Bego said the projects were part of Governor Buni’s legacy in rural and urban renewal initiatives.

The Commissioner of Works, Engr. Umar Wakil, explained that the 460-metre flyover and 600-metre underpass project, awarded to Triacta Construction Company in February 2025, is expected to be completed by March.

“The flyover is designed to ease congestion, improve connectivity and ensure smooth movement of goods and services,” Wakil said, adding that the project aligns with the 25-Year Damaturu City Master Plan.

He noted that road and drainage projects across communities such as Balanguwa-Kumaganam, Danchuwa-Jajere and Chumbusko-Tagali, among others, are aimed at restoring hope, opening access to farmlands and easing the movement of goods.

Markets as Symbols of Economic Recovery

A major highlight of residents’ testimonies was the construction of Ultra Modern and Modern Markets across nine local government areas.

Addressing journalists in Kanamma, Yunusari LGA, Hon. Bego disclosed that billions of naira were invested in market development to revive economic activities in communities devastated by Boko Haram insurgency.

“Now that peace has returned, Governor Mai Mala Buni deemed it fit to put smiles on the faces of our traumatized people by constructing five Ultra Modern and four Modern Markets,” he said.

The Commissioner for Housing, Architect Ahmed Buba Kyari, explained that the Ultra Modern Markets in Damaturu, Nguru, Potiskum and Gashua each consist of 505 shops, administrative blocks, mosques, banking halls, police outposts, boreholes, fire service facilities and perimeter fencing. Four Modern Markets with shops, stalls and warehouses are located in Kannama/Yunusari, Machina, Ngalda and Buni Yadi.

‘This Market Gave Us Hope’

At the newly constructed Kannama Modern Market, a young man from Yunusari said the project had restored dignity and livelihoods to youths.

“Before this market, many of us had nothing doing,” he said. “Now, we have shops and customers. Governor Buni has given us hope and a means to survive.”

Speaking on behalf of the community, Mallam Baba Goni lauded the governor for revamping the local economy despite years of destruction caused by insurgents and pledged continued community support for the administration.

Similarly, Ali Usman, a community leader from Gujba, said Governor Buni’s projects cut across all 17 local government areas and urged residents to protect and sustain the facilities.

From flood-prone rural settlements to post-insurgency towns, the voices gathered during the Daily Hint-led media tour point to a shared sentiment: while challenges remain, many Yobeans believe they are witnessing real change.

As one resident summed it up, “Development is no longer a promise here. We can see it, and we can feel it in our daily lives.”