Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Kano communities are facing severe challenges as water projects awarded under public programmes remain unexecuted, leaving residents without access to clean water and contributing to widespread illness and deaths from waterborne diseases. Investigations have revealed a pattern of unfulfilled promises, ghost contractors, and governance failures that have left thousands of people reliant on unsafe water sources.
Between 2019 and 2023, the Kano State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) awarded contracts for drilling and installing hand-pump boreholes in numerous villages across local government areas including Kunchi, Tsanyawa, Ungogo, and others. These projects were intended to provide clean drinking water for communities, but many of the contracts were never executed, and the residents have continued to use contaminated streams, ponds, and makeshift wells.
In villages such as Kunyawa, Gishare, Faskarawa, Makera, Agalawa, and Panisau, residents report daily struggles to obtain safe water. In Kunyawa, for instance, residents rely on a distant dam that is also used by livestock. This has resulted in recurring typhoid, diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, and other water-related illnesses. Residents have spent significant sums on medical treatment while still lacking a safe water source.
The lack of functional water infrastructure has also disrupted education. Children often spend hours each morning fetching water, leading to absenteeism and, in some cases, school dropouts. Families in Gishare and other affected areas have also reported deaths and severe illness linked to waterborne diseases, compounding the human cost of abandoned projects.
Investigations uncovered that some companies awarded these contracts were unregistered and had no verifiable records with the Corporate Affairs Commission. This raises serious concerns about compliance with procurement regulations and the proper use of public funds. Officials from RUWASA explained that contract awards under constituency projects are heavily influenced by elected representatives, limiting the agency’s ability to reject contractors, which highlights a breakdown in oversight and accountability.
Independent water quality testing confirmed high levels of contamination in the water sources residents depend on. Experts warn that prolonged consumption of such water increases the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses, particularly among children and vulnerable populations.
The economic consequences for affected communities are significant. Families spend money on medical treatment, buy water from private vendors, and lose productive time due to illness or long trips to fetch water. Farmers and traders report that water scarcity reduces agricultural productivity and incomes.
Civil society organizations and local advocates have called for transparent investigations, enforcement of procurement laws, and accountability measures to ensure that public funds result in tangible infrastructure. Clean water is a fundamental necessity, and communities continue to bear the consequences of failed projects.
The situation in Kano reflects broader challenges in rural Nigeria, where access to clean water remains limited, and infrastructure projects frequently falter due to administrative weaknesses, corruption, and underinvestment. Until meaningful oversight and responsive governance are implemented, residents in these communities will remain vulnerable to waterborne diseases and the social and economic hardships that accompany them.
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