Bura Day 2025: Bukar Usman calls for progress as Bura women launches bank, others
By Editor
A former Permanent Secretary in the Presidency, Abuja, chief culture promoter, author of many books and Officer of the Order of the Niger, Dr. Bukar Usman had a moment to share from his vast experiences to the BURA Women Development Association and many other prominent Bura men and woman on how to cultivate development and pursue progress and make Bura the ethnic nationality to envy in Borno State. Dr. Usman tasked his fellow Bura citizens on how to chart the path to progress at this year’s Bura Day celebration by the Women Development Association (BUWDA), Abuja Chapter on April 12, 2025 at AGNL Park, Apo, Abuja. Dr. Usman was the guest speaker at the event.
The Bura women also announced bold plans to launch a microfinance bank to ease access to soft loans for women entrepreneurs either to kick-start or boost their businesses in their communities. The microfinance is proposed to economically empower Bura women, so they could contribute to their families and the community at large The women’s plans also include furnishing the guest house at the Skills Acquisition Centre in Marama, Hawul Local Government, Borno State, North-Eastern Nigeria to make it more attractive and as a source of income.
While addressing the gathering, Dr. Usman, also President of Nigeria Folklore Society (NFS), said, “It is an honour and pleasure for me to be given the opportunity to address this gathering of our people and well-wishers who have come to express their solidarity with Bura Women Development Association (BUWDA) Abuja-Chapter in particular and the parent body in general,” and lauded BUWDA’s efforts since its inception in 2014, noting, “The parent body of the association whose activities I have followed closely and has kept me informed, has all the best of intentions to improve the welfare of our people and the development of Buraland.”
Dr. Usman highlighted the importance of Marama Skills Acquisition Centre, established in 2020 and commissioned by the Borno State Government on December 31, 2022, when its first trainees graduated.
Guest speaker, Dr. Bukar Usman (left) in a handshake with Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd) at the Bura Day Celebration 2025
According to him, “The centre is our pride and a showpiece of self-help in Buraland, Biu Emirate, Borno State, North-Eastern Nigeria, for others to emulate. It is also a lasting legacy to the goodwill and commitment of the initiators alive and of blessed memory. We should thank those of them alive immensely for their selfless contributions. For those who have passed on, we should continue to remember them with fond memories.”
Dr. Usman also emphasised the centre’s role in promoting informal education in Buraland and empowering young people with lifelong skills. He also charged farmers to embrace modern agricultural methods to improve yields and empower themselves economically.
Dr. Usman remarked, “Skills acquisition is part of education which our people have embraced seriously at all levels since its introduction by former colonial administrators and foreign missionaries to our native community decades ago. Also, farming itself is requiring introduction of modern farming methods and production at a higher scale to meet up with growing population. We tend to leave naturally-endowed vast arable lands suitable for mechanization uncultivated. It is time to minimize scratching the ground with inefficient hoe and labour intensive, the terrain permitting. Agricultural Shows should be revived and regularly staged to show improved crop and animal varieties and reward exemplary farmers with new and more efficient farm implements while our native plant species are worth conserving, we should find a way of doing so without kindizing the dire need for increased crop production.”
On BUWDA’s new initiatives, Dr. Usman expressed optimism and further commended the association’s leadership for their innovative ideas on leading the women to a new age, stating, “With new leadership, the association is embarking on new initiatives to improve the facilities at the centre and accord more comfort to august visitors far and near. Having thought it fit, the proposal to promote microfinance bank that will further open up our rural communities to modern financial transaction required for rapid socio-economic development is most welcome.”
However, he cautioned on the need for due diligence and feasibility studies before such major project could be undertaken, so it doesn’t go the way of many others before that died prematurely.
“Its take-off should be based on sound feasibility studies and assured financial management after its take-off,” Dr. Usman stated. “These are heavy responsibilities that rest on the shoulders of current and succeeding leaderships of the Association. It is my hope and prayer that the leaderships would continue to perform creditably to earn and retain our peoples’ confidence and trust for the overall development of Buraland.”
Dr. Usman concuded when he said, “ I wish the leaderships of the Abuja-Chapter of BUWDA and of the parent body every success in their endeavours. They deserve every support generally and timely too.”
The event highlighted BUWDA’s innovative ideas a nd transformative impact, with the Skills Acquisition Centre standing as a beacon of progress for Buraland. Also on display was Bura cultural music and dances that spiced up the event.
Other dignitaries that attended the event included former Chief of Army Staff and former Ambassdor to Benin Republic, Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Gen. PC Tarfa, former President of BUWDA, Mrs. Asta P. Thahal,
