A non-governmental organisation, the Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON), has called for urgent government intervention in Gaube, a key farming community in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), citing years of neglect and crumbling infrastructure.
The group expressed concern over the lack of basic amenities, including poor road networks, dilapidated healthcare facilities, inadequate schools, and worsening farmer-herder conflicts—all of which threaten food production and community wellbeing.
Speaking during a community engagement, a councillorship aspirant under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for Gaube Ward, Hon. Chiamatu Tekula,
described the situation in Gaube as dire, noting that the community comprises over 46 villages, yet fewer than five are accessible by motorable roads.
“Most communities are inaccessible, especially during the rainy season. Rivers without bridges cut off entire villages. Farmers can’t transport their produce, and this has crippled the local economy,” he said.
He added that the lack of development has placed immense strain on both education and healthcare in the area.
“Our health centres are in shambles—no equipment, no oxygen, and no medical personnel. Youths are dropping out of school due to lack of support, and even graduates are unemployed. Many are being pushed into crime out of frustration,” he stated.
Matthew also urged the government to establish designated grazing areas for herders to prevent recurring conflicts with farmers.
“The FCT can feed the nation, but without proper land demarcation, herders will continue to destroy farmlands. We need a lasting solution to these clashes,” he said.
Also speaking, MOTiON member Abdullahi Bilal described Gaube’s condition as one of the worst the organisation has seen in its grassroots engagements across the FCT.
“The primary health centre here is nothing more than a consulting room. Residents travel several kilometres to Kuje for proper medical treatment, and many don’t survive the journey. One school has been closed for over a year,” he said.
Bilal questioned the contradiction between the FCT’s status as the seat of power and the neglect of communities within its borders.
“This is Abuja—the capital of Nigeria. If such conditions exist here, what then is the fate of remote areas across the country?” he asked.
Bilal announced that MOTiON will launch a citizens’ engagement platform on October 17 to increase citizen participation and government accountability. The platform is designed to allow residents to report local issues, demand solutions, and continually “speak truth to power.”
Residents warned that unless immediate action is taken to resolve security challenges and rehabilitate infrastructure in Gaube and surrounding areas, the food supply to Abuja could be severely affected, further worsening hunger, food inflation, and the broader cost-of-living crisis.
