FCT community in dilemma as only water source dries up

Residents of the Tugbudu community in the Gurdi ward of Abaji Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are in a state of confusion as the only river they depend on for water has dried up.

Abuja Metro reports that locals have been digging into different sections of the riverbed to find spots where they can scoop out water. Several residents, particularly women, expressed their frustration over the lack of water when our reporter visited the community—which borders Mayaki-Gulu in Niger State—on Monday.

They noted that the situation has worsened this year, as the river has completely dried up, inflicting severe hardship on the population.

The daily struggle for a drop

Mrs. Asabe Yakubu, a housewife who spoke to our reporter at the stream, said the community has no other source of drinking water and depends solely on the dried-out riverbed.

She explained that the stream is a branch of the Gurara River that flows behind the community.

“Since the dry season set in, the water situation has become unbearable,” she said. “I wake up as early as 4am to dig into the sand and then wait 20 to 30 minutes for the water to seep out before I can use a calabash to scoop it into my basin.”

“Thank God you are here to see what we women are going through,” she added.

Another resident, Mrs. Agnes Ayuba, shared a similar ordeal, stating she often wakes up at 3am with her three daughters to secure a spot.

“Even when I wake up that early, I find other women have already taken over the major ponds with their basins. You will see a long queue of basins waiting for water to gather,” she said.

Competition with livestock

The community’s youth leader, Ibrahim Gambo, noted that despite a diverse population including Hausa, Tiv, and Fulani settlers, the community does not have a single borehole.

Gambo highlighted a worrying health concern: residents are forced to share these meager water points with livestock.

“As you can see, we still drink from the same ponds as the cows. Whenever our women dig out the sand and wait for water to gather, herders move their cows in to drink from that same spot,” he lamented.

The village head of Tugbudu, HRH Salihu Magaji, confirmed that the water crisis is the community’s most pressing issue. However, he noted that the neglect goes further.

“Aside from the lack of potable water, we have no health center, no school, and the road to neighboring Gurdi is in a deplorable state,” the chief said. “During the rainy season, my people are trapped because the streams across the roads flood, making travel impossible.”

He stated that residents must travel to Gulu General Hospital in Lapai LGA, Niger State, for medical attention.

According to him, children do not attend school because there is no primary school nearby; instead, they are sent to the farms. The chief noted that despite having a polling unit that delivers high voter turnouts, the community has seen no government presence.

When contacted, an aide to the Area Council Chairman, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the administration is aware of the plight of rural communities.

“The Area Council has already captured the drilling of solar boreholes for several villages in this year’s budget, and the community you mentioned is included,” the aide said. “Regarding the school, I will draw the chairman’s attention to it to determine the next steps,” he added.

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