Seven years on a broken road: Azare-Garkida residents cry for help
In southern Borno, where Hawul Local Government borders Adamawa State, a major road linking Azare the headquarters of Hawul to Garkida has been left in disrepair for more than seven years. Once a key highway connecting Borno to Adamawa and onward to Cameroon, it is now riddled with potholes, forcing commuters to endure hardship, accidents, […]
In southern Borno, where Hawul Local Government borders Adamawa State, a major road linking Azare the headquarters of Hawul to Garkida has been left in disrepair for more than seven years. Once a key highway connecting Borno to Adamawa and onward to Cameroon, it is now riddled with potholes, forcing commuters to endure hardship, accidents, and economic losses. For the people of Azare and surrounding communities, the road has become a symbol of neglect and frustration.
The Azare-Garkida Road is more than a local route. It is a lifeline that connects farmers, traders, and travelers to markets and cities across the region. Farmers in Hawul rely on it to move maize, beans, rice, and other produce to larger markets in Borno and Adamawa. In the
past, it carried goods into Cameroon, strengthening trade and cultural exchange.
Today, however, the road is a nightmare. Deep craters and waterlogged sections slow journeys to a crawl. What should be a smooth two-hour drive now takes five hours or more. Vehicles break down frequently, while passengers are sometimes forced to trek through mud to continue their journeys.
Years ago, government contractors began repairs from the Biu axis, since Hawul lies close to Biu. But the effort was abandoned halfway. While some outer sections were patched, the inner part of Azare the very headquarters of the local government and gateway to Garkida was left untouched.
“They repaired some parts but left the rest,” recalls Midala Bitrus, a concerned resident. “The road was supposed to connect Hawul all the way to Garkida, but only half was done.”
This half-hearted approach left the most critical section of the road in worse condition than before.
The road’s neglect has stretched for more than seven years, despite repeated government pledges to intervene. On several occasions, officials have promised rehabilitation, often during campaigns or public visits. Yet, no significant progress has been made.
In that time, the road has only det further, endangering lives and livelihoods.
For commuters, the road is no longer just an inconvenience but a danger. Accidents are frequent as drivers swerve to avoid craters or slip-on muddy surfaces. Cars and motorcycles overturn, and many lives have been lost in the process.
The stagnant water along the road has also raised fears of disease outbreaks, while the lack of access has left surrounding villages vulnerable to insecurity.
The economic impact is severe. Farmers are unable to get their goods to market on time. Produce often spoils on the way, and the cost of transport has doubled as commercial drivers charge more to risk their vehicles on the dangerous stretch.
Children, meanwhile, have turned some abandoned sections of the road into sugarcane farms a sign of just how much the road has lost its value as a transport corridor.
The condition of the Azare-Garkida Road mirrors a wider problem in the North-East, where many communities suffer from poor infrastructure worsened by years of conflict. Development experts warn that neglecting such projects deepens poverty and insecurity. Roads are the veins of development. They connect people, create jobs, and improve security. Leaving them to decay is leaving people behind. For residents of Hawul, the solution is straightforward: government must move beyond promises to action.
They are calling for the completion of the Azare-Garkida road as originally planned. Short-term palliative measures like filling gullies and clearing drains to ease travel. Accountability in project execution, ensuring contractors complete assigned work. Involvement of communities and NGOs, so progress is not abandoned midway. Until these steps are taken, commuters in southern Borno will continue to face accidents, financial losses, and endless frustration on a road that has become a death trap.
Magdalene Thomas Alfa, wrote from University of Maiduguri