Angwan Rukuba is an area inJos North Local Government Area of Plateau Stateand it forms part of theBauchi RingRoad. It is an important and well known area in Jos mainly due to the lifestyle and activities in this area. It is bounded by so many other areas in Jos North, these areas include: Nasarawa Gwong, Fudawa, Yan Trailer, Eto Baba, Dogon Dutse, and Odus. Itis limited by Valleys which serve as boundaries that help to demarcate it from other areas. Thisis a very busy area where almost all the items and services needed for basic daily living are found without necessarily going toTerminus Market. The area is congested and the houses are not well arranged which makes it more of a slum or a Ghetto.

Women selling near La Med Pharmacy at Angwan Rukuba Junction

Angwan Rukuba offers hospitality especially to Students studying in the University of Jos because it is a bit closer to school and allows them to get almost everything they need for schooling. Transport fare from this placeto University Permanent site is about 50 naira or 70 naira at most, while the fare to the Bauchi Campus (Temporary Site) is 50 naira, hence the reason why students who prefer living off campus choose this place. The Taxis are always available for students at the park which is just opposite La Med Pharmacy by the junction. Hence students that like busy environment always live here.

Angwan Rukuba Police Station before being burnt

ThereareFour main routes that lead to and forms the Angwan Rukuba Junction. The four routes are:

• British American axis: when coming from this route, a diversion is seen by the left at the junction, this diversion is the road that leads to Nasarawa Gwong. Another road passes straight and leads to the Odus and then to the University of Jos. In the middle of the diversion is La Med Pharmacy.
• The Eto Baba road lies by the right side of the Angwan Rukuba Junction.
• Eto Baba Axis
• The Nasarawa Gwong axis that can lead to Yan Shanu
• Odus Axis whichleads to the University of Jos

This Junction which has the shape of an “X”.

Location of Houses in the Valley due to unavailable land and space, a major challenge to expansion and growth

Located by the junction is a Police station; the location of this Police station helps to control the traffic usually encountered around this area as the Traffic Police are always seen regulating the Traffic and the Police station helps reduce the rate of crime as criminals are easily controlled.
This communityis dominated by the Rukuba speaking tribe that is why it is called Angwan Rukuba which means “Area of Rukuba People” in Hausa. Nevertheless, development and settlement has brought so many people from diverse tribes and places to settle here and some of them own property such as lands and businesses here. The Rukuba is spoken only within themselves and they mostly use English and Hausa to speak to other people from other tribes.

Development and Growth

This area has really developed in terms of population and services rendered but the land mass is limited by the valleys that surround it. These valleys make it impossible to expand and develop as there are no more available space for building of new structures except if you decide to build inthe valley as some people did which could be risky since the structure will be located along water way. The valleys have therefore limit the further growth of the area.

Services found in Angwan Rukuba

There are so many services that are rendered in this area which include:

• Photocopying and Computer business centers
• Restaurants and Bars
• Provision stores
• Schools: mostly primary and nursery schools and are not exactly located inside this area but at the surrounding areasas the limited spaces are used for building houses rather than schools
• Suwa(Roasted Meat),Nam’As (Dog Meat),Beef and Goat meat.
• All kinds of Food stuff
• Pharmacies and Chemists
• Motor Parks travelers to Mangu, Pankshin, and Lamingo
• Other services including Barbing, Laundry, Human labour, Clothes, Electrical Repairs and many more

Women selling Yams, Irish Potatoes and other food stuff along Odus road at Angwan Rukuba

The areais a Christian Dominated area and can be compared with the Muslim Dominated area of Angwan Rogo which have so many things in common except the nature of people living in them.

Angwan Rukuba is good for the services it renders but has some challenges it faces such as Traffic congestion, Water scarcity, Standard hospital and clinic, and proper sanitation. These pose a problem to health and standard of living.