Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Residents of the Wuse District in the Federal Capital Territory have made an emotional appeal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to urgently restore public water supply following nearly three weeks of dry taps that have brought life in one of Abuja's most prominent districts to a standstill. The prolonged disruption has left homes and businesses in Wuse Zones 1, 2, 3, 6 and Wuse II without running water, forcing thousands of residents to rely on expensive commercial water vendors at exorbitant costs, according to multiple reports published on Sunday, August 2, 2026. The residents, speaking through various media outlets, described the situation as unbearable and called on the authorities to treat the water outage as a public health emergency.
Mrs. Ngozi Okafor, a resident of Wuse Zone 2, painted a grim picture of daily life under the water siege, telling Vanguard that families now spend a significant portion of their income on buying water from vendors. "For almost three weeks now, there has been no water from our taps. Every day we buy water from vendors, and the cost keeps increasing. Water is a basic necessity, and we are appealing to the authorities to restore the supply because we need water urgently," she said. Her words were echoed by Mrs. Rakiya Aliyu, a trader in Wuse Zone 3, who told Daily Trust that the scarcity, which has persisted for about two weeks, has forced many families to depend on commercial water tankers, local water vendors known as "Mai ruwa," and nearby boreholes, leading to increased household expenses and disruptions to daily routines.
The health implications of the crisis have also sparked grave concern among residents. Mr. John Bamgbose of Wuse Zone 6 warned that the prolonged shortage poses serious public health risks, as families are now rationing water meant for cooking, bathing and sanitation. "The situation is becoming a serious health concern. Families are rationing water meant for cooking, bathing and sanitation. We are worried that if nothing is done, people may begin to fall sick. The government should act before diseases break out," he said. His fears were echoed by another resident, Mr. Joseph Simon, a civil servant in Wuse Zone 5, who told Daily Trust that his family now harvests rainwater whenever possible for washing and cleaning, while the little clean water they buy is reserved for cooking and drinking.
Business owners have also been hit hard by the water drought. Mrs. Zainab Mustapha, who operates a hair salon in Wuse Zone 2, said access to water has become one of the biggest challenges facing her business, noting that some customers leave when they discover there is no adequate water supply. "Running a salon without water is almost impossible. There are days where I have to buy water before I can even attend to my customers, and that means extra expenses for my business," she said. She added that the prices charged by water vendors keep increasing, putting further strain on small business owners.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had previously addressed the water shortages in parts of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, attributing the disruption to damage caused to a major pipeline by a private developer. He appealed for patience from residents and assured that efforts were underway to restore water supply. However, the residents of Wuse District have grown increasingly frustrated as the problem persists. Mrs. Esther Bassey, a resident of Wuse II, urged the FCT Minister, the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority to intervene immediately. "We are appealing to the FCT Minister, the FCTA and the FCDA to come to our rescue. Wuse is one of the major districts in Abuja, and residents should not have to suffer this way. We hope the authorities will listen to our cry and restore water supply without further delay," she said.
The residents have called on the relevant authorities to treat the situation as an emergency, stressing that access to clean water is essential for public health, sanitation and residents' wellbeing. They expressed hope that normal water supply would be restored without further delay to ease the hardship being experienced across the district and prevent possible outbreaks of water-borne diseases. As the crisis enters its third week, the people of Wuse District are left to wonder when the taps will flow again, and whether their desperate pleas will finally be heard by those in power. For now, the residents continue to endure, spending their hard-earned money on water that should be flowing freely from their taps.
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