Residents of several rural communities across Kabo, Gwarzo, and Karaye Local Government Areas of Kano State have lamented the deplorable condition of a major road linking their communities, saying decades of neglect have subjected them to severe hardship.
The affected communities said the road has remained in poor condition for more than 50 years, adding that the problem dates back to the time of their parents.
The road stretches from Garo through Danejin Garo, Majema, and Hayin Rimi in Gwarzo Local Government Area before passing through Makan Wata, Gadar Makera, Sarkin Ya, Jingi Sabaru, Rigarmado, Gammo, Katsalle A, and Katsalle B, connecting several communities across the three local government areas.
According to residents, efforts to rehabilitate the road began in 2011 during the administration of former Kano State Governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. They said construction work, including the building of bridges, progressed steadily for about six months before it was abruptly abandoned at the end of the administration.
They further explained that in 2016, during the tenure of Senator Barau I. Jibrin, who was then representing Kano North and serving as Deputy Senate President, work resumed briefly with the laying of bridge foundations and construction of about one kilometre of the road. However, the project was again abandoned and has remained incomplete since then.
Residents said the poor state of the road has made transportation extremely difficult, especially during the rainy season.
“If we want to travel just one kilometre, we are forced to take a much longer route, sometimes up to three kilometres before reaching our destination. A journey that should cost ₦1,000 now costs us about ₦3,000 because of the bad road,” a resident, Jibril, said.
They added that the deteriorating road has negatively affected business activities, healthcare access, education, and other daily activities in the area, with many residents suffering economic losses as a result.
Some community-based groups in the area said they had organized themselves and appointed leaders from Kabo, Gwarzo, and Karaye to spearhead efforts aimed at drawing the government’s attention to the situation.
Despite these efforts, residents said no meaningful progress has been made, although there were attempts to revive the project during the administration of former Governor Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Attempts to get official responses from the relevant authorities were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report, despite calls and WhatsApp messages sent to officials concerned.
The residents appealed to the Kano State Government and the Deputy Governor, whom they described as being from the area, to urgently intervene by rehabilitating the road and providing other essential infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, electricity, and clean drinking water to the affected communities.
With the rainy season approaching and political activities gathering momentum ahead of future elections, residents said the rehabilitation of the road has become critical to improving their daily lives.
