Kaduna college struggles with rampant crime and deteriorating infrastructure

Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, is grappling with a multitude of challenges, including decrepit infrastructure, security concerns, and inadequate welfare facilities, as uncovered by Arewa PUNCH.

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A recent visit to the institution revealed that the college is struggling to cope with a dilapidated access road, escalating transportation costs, and security concerns in the hostels, despite repeated pleas for intervention by stakeholders.

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The most visible challenge facing the institution is the deplorable condition of the road leading to the college, which becomes flooded and impassable during the rainy season, disrupting the movement of students, staff, and visitors.

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Rev. Fr. Julius Moses Eyyazo, the Chaplain of St. Albert Chaplaincy, described the road as one of the institution's greatest challenges, stating that its poor state has become a source of hardship for students, staff, and visitors, with commercial motorcycle operators often refusing to enter the campus due to the road's condition.

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According to Rev. Fr. Eyyazo, the situation also affects religious and academic activities, as students often arrive late due to transportation difficulties, while a student, Felicity Andrew, recounted how she once fell from a motorcycle after the rider lost control on a damaged section of the road.

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Felicity Andrew said she fell into the muddy water and missed her lectures that day, adding that there have been times when students could not get to school because motorcycles were unable to access the campus after rainfall.

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Comrade Exodus Mathew, the President of the Nigerian Federation of Catholic Students, St. Albert the Great Chaplaincy, disclosed that the students had repeatedly appealed for the rehabilitation of the road, but little has changed, with many students still missing lectures whenever it rains due to difficult access to the campus.

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Mathew added that transportation fares have increased significantly due to the poor state of the road, further exacerbating the challenges faced by students.

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Engr. Victor Gambo, the institution's Head of Procurement, acknowledged that the road has remained in a deplorable condition for many years despite previous interventions, including a contract for about 11.5 kilometres of roads within the institution awarded during the administration of former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi, which was never completed.

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According to Gambo, drainages were constructed, but the road was not asphalted, and since then, it has remained largely in its present condition, with the college using its limited resources to rehabilitate about 1.3 kilometres of the road network.

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The college has repeatedly written to the Kaduna State Government and the Kaduna State Roads Agency seeking intervention, with Gambo stating that the road project remains one of the institution's most critical infrastructure needs and has consistently featured in its budget submissions.

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Beyond the road crisis, students residing in the college hostel also raised concerns over welfare and security challenges, with a visit to the hostel revealing complaints about inadequate security, the absence of a functional solar-powered borehole, and poor environmental conditions.

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Wyong Dogara, the student in charge of the female hostel, said many of the facilities promised before students paid accommodation fees have yet to materialise, with concerns about security around the hostel, mosquito infestation, and occasional sightings of reptiles around the hostel environment.

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Dogara recalled an incident in which a student who became seriously ill at night had to be taken outside the institution for medical attention, highlighting the need for improved facilities and services.

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A lecturer, who requested anonymity, said the institution has suffered years of neglect, with challenges ranging from poor roads to inadequate hostel facilities requiring urgent attention.

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The lecturer alleged that a N50 million intervention fund reportedly awarded to the institution by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board was not used to address critical infrastructure needs, with concerns about transparency and accountability regarding its utilisation.

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Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, disclosed that the construction of the institution's internal roads and renovation of hostel blocks have been captured in the 2026 budget, as part of efforts to improve infrastructure and enhance students' welfare.

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Dr. Abdullahi Baba Ahmed, the Managing Director of the Kaduna State Roads Agency, said the agency has assessed the institution's road network and assured stakeholders that the government would address the challenge, prioritising infrastructure development in tertiary institutions across Kaduna State.

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Baba Ahmed added that the state government has already executed several projects within the institution, including hostel renovations and other interventions aimed at improving the learning environment, with most projects implemented in phases.

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Students and staff have expressed optimism over the recent assessment by KADRA and the inclusion of the road project in the 2026 budget, but urged the government to ensure timely implementation of the proposed interventions to address poor road access, inadequate security, and non-functional hostel facilities.

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Efforts to obtain the reaction of the college management on allegations concerning the reported JAMB intervention fund were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.