Governor Buni’s Investment In Markets, Roads, Other Key Projects Transforming Lives In Yobe

By Ali Musa Yawale

Mustapha Bukar stood a short distance from the newly completed modern market in Yunusari, taking in the fresh structures with quiet satisfaction and anticipation. To him, the neatly arranged stores, shops and stalls, alongside the newly built wherehouses, are more than a project; they represent dignity, stability and a new beginning for traders..

From a distance, the market looks ready for business: neat roofing, organised stalls and a layout that gives traders more dignity than the scattered roadside selling of the past. For residents, it stands as one of the most visible signs that development has reached communities in northern Yobe.

Though the new facility is yet to become operational, it has been completed and is awaiting commissioning. Traders like Mustapha have not relocated, but they are relieved that their years of hardship are finally over.

For Mustapha, a trader, farmer and farm produce merchant, the modern market represents more than a physical structure. To him, it symbolises a shift in the economic identity of Yunusari, a community where traders have long struggled with inadequate market space, harsh weather exposure and poor organisation.

“This market is completely finished,” Mustapha said. “But we are still waiting for commissioning. Once it is commissioned, trading here will change. It will bring more buyers and more business.”

Across northern Yobe, residents say daily life has always been shaped by how far people can travel, where they can trade, and whether basic services are close enough to reach.

However, over the last six and half years, many communities say their experiences have gradually shifted through expanded road networks, modern markets, drainage projects, education expansion, healthcare delivery and governance reforms under Governor Mai Mala Buni.

From Machina and Yunusari in the far north, to Nguru and Gashu’a, and down to Potiskum, Damaturu and other parts of the state, residents say the changes are no longer only matters of government statistics encapsulated in official statements, but realities that can be seen, used and felt in everyday living.

In many northern communities, markets are far more than places of buying and selling. They serve as centres of social and economic life, shaping the movement of farmers, the earnings of women traders and the survival of households that depend on daily income. Residents across Yunusari, Machina, Nguru, Gashu’a and Ngalda say market development being executed under Governor Buni is gradually transforming how communities trade, travel and sustain livelihoods.

In Ngalda, the modern market is also completed 100 per cent, but still awaiting commissioning, a situation residents say has raised expectations about the opportunities it can unlock once officially opened.

Falmata Wushe, a petty trader who sells vegetables, spices and household items, said traders are still operating in the old market environment because the new facility, though completed, has not been commissioned.

“The market is finished, but we have not moved in,” she explained. “Once it is commissioned and we relocate, trading will improve. It will be cleaner, organised and better for women. The old place is difficult, especially during rain and dust.”

In Gashu’a, Fatima Lawan said the modern markets being developed across northern Yobe are already strengthening confidence among traders, even before full operations begin.

“For us in Gashu’a, the market has been completed and allocated to people with business bubbling and improving by the day.”

While Yunusari and Ngalda are waiting for commissioning despite full completion, Machina’s modern market is at completion stage. Mallam Modu, a grain trader, said the project has revived hope among residents who have endured years of poor market conditions.

He recalled how traders used to spread mats on bare ground, struggling through heat, dust storms and the disruption of rains.

“When rain falls, the whole market becomes dirty and customers go away,” he said. “But now the modern market is almost completed. Once it is finished and commissioned, it will bring relief for traders.”

In Buni-Yadi, residents said the modern market has reached an appreciable level of completion, and they believe it will expand the trading opportunities the area is known for once it is commissioned.

Beyond markets, residents say road projects remain among the most visible and practical ways the Buni administration has changed daily life across the state.

In Potiskum, Mohammed Sani, a commercial driver, said improved roads have reduced travel stress and helped both transporters and passengers.

“Before, some roads were so bad that drivers avoided them,” he said. “Now movement is easier. It saves time and reduces damage to vehicles.”

Yahaya Isa, a farmer who transports produce, said improved roads are directly linked to income, describing them as essential for reducing post-harvest losses and strengthening profit margins for farmers.

“For farmers, roads are money,” he said. “If road is bad, goods can spoil before reaching the market. But when roads are better, we take produce quickly, sell early and return with profit.”

Along the Dawasa-Kukkuri road, Maiunguwa Abdu said the project has strengthened connectivity and improved activities between communities.

“This road matters because it links people. Before, some places were hard to reach, especially in the rainy season. Now it is improving movement and business, he explained.”

For Adamu Mohammed, the Garin-Bingel to Danchuwa to Jajere road project has reduced hardship for rural dwellers who previously suffered isolation, especially during rainy seasons.

“Before, when rain falls, vehicles get stuck and movement becomes difficult. Even taking someone to hospital becomes a problem. But this road has reduced those challenges.”

In Damaturu, residents cite township road projects, alongside the flyover and underpass road development, as key efforts that are gradually giving the capital a modern outlook and easing movement.

Mohammed Sani, who frequently passes through Damaturu, said the difference is clear.

“Damaturu is changing,” he said. “Township roads, flyover and underpass projects are helping traffic and movement. It makes the capital look better and work better.”

Beyond infrastructure development, residents also mention governance reforms introduced by the state government, especially in payroll management, procurement processes and fiscal policies.

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali has while speaking to newsmen said the reforms earned commendations from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the World Bank, which residents believe can strengthen accountability and ensure resources translate into projects that have direct public value.

In education, the SSG stated that six model schools and seven mega schools were established alongside other secondary schools. Authorities also said over 4,000 teachers were recruited, while about 26,000 were trained.

In healthcare, the government he said has constructed and retrofitted over 140 primary healthcare centres and has completed 178, alongside the deployment of 88 tricycle ambulances to remote communities.

Residents say these interventions are gradually expanding access to essential services, particularly in rural settlements where distance and poor infrastructure have historically shaped hardship and reduced opportunities.

Many residents also attribute improved economic activities in some parts of the state to strengthened security collaboration and stabilisation efforts.

So far, the government, according to Wali, has repaired and retrofitted about 300 security vehicles, while more than 2,000 vigilantes, hunters and hybrid forces were engaged and fully kitted to support security operations.

Across Yobe, residents say the story of transformation is best told through daily experiences, through traders waiting for the commissioning of completed markets in Yunusari and Ngalda; through communities anticipating the final completion of the Machina market and following progress in Buni-Yadi; through smoother movement on improved roads; and through improved access to services.

Standing beside the completed Yunusari market, Mustapha Bukar said he is counting days, not because the structures are unfinished, but because commissioning is what will open the door to the benefits residents are expecting.

“The market is ready,” he said. “We are now waiting for commissioning so we can relocate and start enjoying the opportunity it will bring.”

– Yawale is the Director of Information Services, Yobe State Ministry of information.