How Buni’s Investments In Roads, Agriculture Are Expanding Opportunities Across Yobe

By ALI MUSA YAWALE

In many communities across Yobe State, the story of development is increasingly being told through improved roads, easier access to markets and renewed farming activities.

For residents and farmers, recent investments in infrastructure and agriculture by Governor Mai Mala Buni are beginning to translate into real opportunities and improved livelihoods.

Across the state, residents say the impact of road construction is becoming visible, not only in urban centres but also in rural communities where access has long been a challenge.

A release from the Yobe State Ministry of Works shows that as of January, 2026, the government has constructed and completed 93 inter-town and township roads, alongside drainage systems, while 40 others are ongoing at various stages of completion.

The projects span all the 17 local government areas, including Damaturu, the state capital, and are designed to address both rural and urban infrastructure gaps. In Damaturu alone, 16 road projects were awarded, with 11 already completed and five ongoing.

For many residents, these developments are not just statistics but lived realities. Mohammed Ali, a tricycle rider in Damaturu, said newly constructed roads such as the Gujba Road–Mallum Mattari route, Obasanjo Quarters–Nyanya road and the link to the Potiskum (NTA) dual carriageway have eased movement within the city.

“Before now, moving from one area to another was difficult, but these roads have made our work easier and faster,” he said.

He added that roads and drainage projects from the Adviser’s Office to GHAAT Hotel and within Zannah Zakariya Estate have improved accessibility, while the road linking Tsangayan Bututu to the Potiskum Ring Road bypass has further reduced travel time.

Another resident, Modu Bulama, noted that the Damaturu–Kalallawa dual carriageway and internal roads within the Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery have strengthened connectivity, adding that ongoing projects in areas such as Obasanjo Housing Estate and Sabon Pegi–Layin PS axis are expected to further ease transportation challenges.

Beyond the state capital, similar experiences are being echoed across other local government areas.

In Karasuwa, where 13 road projects were executed, Alhaji Audu said improved roads have eased the transportation of farm produce, allowing farmers to connect more easily with buyers.

“In the past, transporting our goods was difficult, but now buyers can reach us without stress,” he said.

Massa’a Mallum, a resident of Geidam, which recorded 15 projects, said the interventions have improved movement within the town and neighbouring communities.

In Potiskum, a major commercial hub with 13 projects, a trader, Mohammed Ali said the projects have reduced congestion and improved conditions thereby boosting business activities.

For small-scale entrepreneurs like Hauwa Inuwa, a food vendor in Damaturu, improved roads are also translating into increased customer flow.

“With better roads, more people can reach us easily, and that has improved our sales,” she said.

In Fune Local Government Area, which benefited from eight projects, farmers said improved road access has made rural markets more accessible, attracting more buyers and boosting income while in neighbouring Fika, a resident of the area, Masaya Modu said the seven projects executed in the area have strengthened connections between villages and towns, easing movement for residents.

Similarly, in Bade, Isa Adamu Bizi said, “Better roads have reduced post-harvest losses. Sometimes our goods get spoiled before reaching the market, but now we can move them faster.”

In Nguru, a farmer said, “Improved road access, alongside irrigation support, has boosted dry-season farming. We now produce more and sell without much difficulty because movement is easier.”

Also, in Gujba Local Government Area, which benefited from nine projects, Audu Isa Yadi said improved roads have enhanced access to markets and neighbouring communities, making it easier for farmers and traders to expand their activities.

Residents in Machina said road interventions have improved trade links with surrounding areas, while those in Gulani noted that transportation of farm produce has become easier despite the terrain.

In Bursari and Jakusko, community members said improved access roads have strengthened local commerce and enhanced interaction between rural and urban markets.

While the road projects are improving mobility, residents say their impact is being amplified by sustained investments in agriculture.

Over the past two years, the state government has committed billions of naira to agricultural empowerment programmes aimed at boosting productivity and supporting farmers across the state.

Findings indicate that no fewer than 10,000 farmers have benefited from the distribution of farm inputs and implements in 2025 and 2024 farming season.

In 2025, the government procured and distributed 40 Massey Ferguson tractors, 1,961 power tillers, 1,250 hand-push planters, 553 multi-purpose threshers and 3,410 solar-powered water pumps.

Additional support included 830 fertiliser applicators, 4,500 bags of NPK fertiliser, crop residue crushers and choppers, assorted grains, agrochemicals, certified seeds, cassava stems, as well as tricycles and motorcycles to support farm operations and mobility.

While most of the inputs were distributed free, fertilisers were made available to farmers at a 50 per cent subsidised rate.

Similarly, in 2024, the government procured 100 tractors, hundreds of planters and tillers, over 4,000 solar-powered irrigation machines, more than 1,000 harvesters and 72,000 bags of fertiliser.

The intervention also included oxen ploughs, small ruminants and improved seedlings distributed to over 5,300 beneficiaries across 178 political wards.

For many farmers, the combination of improved infrastructure and access to modern farming tools is changing the narrative.

“The support we get and the roads have made farming more profitable. We can now produce more and sell without much difficulty,” Usman Mohammed, a farmer in Nguru said.

Residents said easier access to markets, reduced transportation costs and increased farm productivity are gradually improving living conditions across communities.

They added that if sustained, the combined investments in roads and agriculture could further transform local economies and create lasting opportunities for people across the state.

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