Kano govt blames water crisis on abandoned, vandalised facilities from Ganduje era
By Uzair Adam
The Kano State Government says it inherited multimillion-naira water facilities in a state of disrepair and vandalism from the previous administration led by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje—an issue it blames for the persistent water shortages across the state.
The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Haruna Doguwa, made this known while leading journalists on a tour of major water works.
He cited the Kano water works built in 1930 and the Challawa water works established in 2016 by former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso among the affected facilities, alleging they were abandoned and vandalized during Ganduje’s tenure.
Doguwa revealed that over 12 kilometers of water pipelines connecting the Kano River to these facilities were uprooted, while critical equipment such as control room devices and raw pumps were stolen.
He estimated the total cost of restoring the facilities at around \$10 million.
“The first water works had a 20-million-litre daily capacity before it was vandalized in 2016, resulting in severe water scarcity in the state. The damage there alone is worth about \$3.5 million,” he said.
He also noted that the Intel 6 water facility, with a 350-million-litre daily capacity and responsible for half of Kano’s water supply, was similarly vandalized, with pumps worth about N500 million each allegedly sold off.
Currently, the state only manages to produce 300 million cubic meters of water daily, far short of the 700 million required.
To address the shortfall, the government is working to rehabilitate the affected facilities and expand the Wudil and Joda water works.
Once completed, Doguwa said water production would increase to 500 million cubic meters per day.
The Managing Director of the Kano State Water Board, Garba Ahmed, also highlighted that key areas such as Dorayi, Kofar Pompo, Kabuga Rijiyar Zaki, Janguza, BUK, and Goron Dutse are among the worst hit by the ongoing crisis.
In a related move to control exploitation, Doguwa met with leaders of tanker drivers and water vendors to propose fixed rates for water sales.
He gave a seven-day deadline to reach an agreement on fair pricing for tank and jerrycan water supplies.