Barely 18 kilometres from Katsina city lies Riko Ward in Jibiya Local Government Area — a community of over 18,000 residents — living in conditions that expose the deep failures of governance in Nigeria’s rural development. Despite having elected representatives from the local to the federal level, the people of Daga, one of the main settlements in Riko Ward, remain trapped in poverty, poor education, and a collapsing healthcare system.

When Katsina Times visited the area, the sight was heartbreaking. The Daga Health Centre, once a symbol of hope for mothers and children, now stands in ruins. Its roofs are open, the walls cracked, and there is no running water or basic medical equipment. Pregnant women come to give birth carrying their own water in plastic containers.

According to findings, between four and seven women deliver their babies each month under these harsh conditions. Only one health worker remains in service — an aging officer who said he has just one year left before retirement — assisted by two or three untrained volunteers.

“This hospital has turned into a ghost building,” said one resident. “If you fall ill here, you rely only on prayers.”

The education sector paints an equally grim picture. The Daga Primary School has more than 500 pupils but only three volunteer teachers. Despite the construction of new classrooms, some of them began to deteriorate within weeks of completion. The school has no permanent staff or security personnel, and lessons take place only three times a week.

“I’m a temporary teacher,” said one of the volunteers. “We try to teach all subjects ourselves because there’s no one else.”

Equally distressing is the fact that Riko Ward has been without electricity for 14 years. Power poles line the streets, but the wires hang uselessly. A transformer installed by Senator Abdu Soja has never worked — a bitter reminder of failed promises.

“The transformer is just decoration,” said a frustrated resident. “It’s there, but it has never given us light.”

Residents blame their political representatives for years of neglect. They accuse State Assembly member Mustapha Yusuf of spending 12 years in office without initiating a single meaningful project in the area. They also questioned Federal House member Sada Solin Jibiya’s impact, despite his donation of medical supplies worth millions of naira — supplies that remain unused due to the dilapidated condition of the health facility.

Criticism was also directed at Senator Abdu Soja for the non-functional transformer, and at Governor Dikko Umar Radda, who recently received a Golden Award in Abuja for his contribution to education — while schools in his own state, like Daga Primary School in Riko Ward, suffer from teacher shortages and crumbling infrastructure.

Despite being just a short drive from the state capital, Riko Ward feels forgotten. Its people live without basic healthcare, without quality education, and without electricity.

“We vote in every election,” said an elderly resident. “But what do we get in return? Not even the light to see our ballots.”

The story of Riko Ward in Katsina State underscores the persistent neglect of rural communities across northern Nigeria. It highlights the widening gap between political promises and lived realities. The decay in education and healthcare reflects the consequences of weak governance, lack of accountability, and the failure of public institutions to protect citizens’ basic rights. Until leaders begin to prioritize rural development and transparent constituency oversight, communities like Riko will remain trapped in silence, darkness, and despair.