KAGBADA Disburses N7 Million in Scholarships and Women Empowerment Grants in Karu
KARU, ABUJA – Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the auspices of the Karu Gbagyi Development Association (KAGBADA) have honoured the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, with the prestigious Nigeria Infrastructure Minister of the Year Award in recognition of his transformative infrastructural projects across Abuja’s satellite towns and outer-city districts.
The award was presented at the Jummai Aduda Youth Centre in Karu, Abuja, during the association’s end-of-year activities.
Speaking during the event, KAGBADA Chairman, Mr. Sumner Shagari Sambo, commended the minister for initiating unprecedented infrastructure development in communities that had long been neglected.
According to him, FCT indigenes have never witnessed the scale of development currently taking place under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister Nyesom Wike.
“We decided to honour the FCT minister for the great infrastructure projects extended to our community, such as the completed rehabilitation of the Nyanya-Karu-Jikwoyi-Karshi Highway, which is currently easing traffic in the Karu Chiefdom, the completed Kugbo Bus Terminal, Kugbo International Market and other notable projects,” Sambo said.
As part of its community development initiatives, KAGBADA also disbursed N4 million in scholarships to indigent students in secondary and tertiary institutions and N3 million to women petty traders to support their businesses and promote self-reliance.
Sambo explained that the association’s programmes, which include scholarships, women’s empowerment and support for artisans, were designed to give back to society and encourage economic independence among residents.
The association further appealed to the FCT Administration to relocate the Karu abattoir, describing its current location in the middle of the community as a serious health hazard due to its unhygienic condition.
KAGBADA also called for the upgrade of the Karu General Hospital, built in 2006 by former FCT Minister Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, noting that the facility has remained largely non-functional, forcing many residents to seek medical attention at Asokoro and Maitama General Hospitals.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Chris Amadi, Minister Nyesom Wike thanked the people of Karu for recognising his administration’s efforts and assured them of more infrastructural projects aimed at improving the lives of residents across the FCT.
Also speaking, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda, stressed the need for unity among the indigenous people of Karu and other residents, noting that sustainable development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace, unity and mutual understanding, irrespective of tribe, religion or ethnic affiliation.
