Residents of the Bugau community in Damau ward, Kubau council area of Kaduna have appealed to the government for urgent intervention regarding severe infrastructure shortages and a lack of agricultural support.

Speaking on Thursday, Ibrahim Adamu-Bugau, a community leader, stated that the town’s lack of modern social amenities and government backing continues to hinder its overall socio-economic progress.

He said the ancient settlement, home to over 6,000 residents, struggles to meet the growing demand for adult and female literacy programmes initiated by local community groups and international non-governmental organisations.

“Our women are eager to learn, but we lack basic teaching environments. Truthfully, there is a problem regarding the learning and teaching environment for these sisters of ours to get an education,” Mr Ibrahim said.

The community leader revealed that Bugau relies on a single primary school and entirely lacks a secondary school, forcing local children, especially girls, to drop out. He added that those who attend secondary school trek 10 kilometres daily to neighbouring Damau town.

Mr Ibrahim appealed to the Kaduna State Ministry of Education to construct a secondary school in Bugau, build dedicated adult learning centres, expand primary school infrastructure, and supply essential instructional materials.

He also urged government authorities to provide stipends for volunteer youth tutors, noting that financial pressures and peer discouragement threaten to derail their ongoing educational and community development efforts.

“We have one of our own who volunteered to teach married adolescent and adult women in the community. But his friends mock him, asking why he is wasting time when others went to the farm and made money. Providing a small incentive will motivate him to stay and continue helping us,” Mr Ibrahim stated.

In agriculture, the community leader called on state extension services to help local farmers build modern marketing skills, improve financial management, and strengthen post-harvest handling to maximise yields and boost rural incomes.

“Look, we are farmers in this town; there is agriculture, but knowing how to market and manage farm produce is another challenge entirely. Without economic knowledge, you end up losing money,” he noted.

He urged elected officials to complement the interventions of development partners like the Malala Fund by delivering permanent educational facilities, motorable roads, and institutional support to the historically resilient agricultural community.

(NAN)