By Suleiman Abubakar Rimi Uku, Lafia
abubakarlawal6767@gmail.com
LAFIA — Once celebrated for its visionary water infrastructure under the administration of the late Pa Solomon D. Lar (1981–1982), the capital of Nasarawa State now finds itself in a deepening water crisis. The Lafia Dam, originally designed to provide clean and safe drinking water to over 10,000 households, has all but lost its purpose.
As Lafia’s population balloons to nearly 500,000, the dream of functional tap water has become a distant memory. Today, most residents depend on boreholes — private, commercial, or institutional — just to meet their daily needs. Alarmingly, even the Ministry of Water Resources, the body tasked with water supply, now survives on boreholes.
> “We spend so much money every month buying water from vendors. Sometimes it's not even clean, but we have no choice,”
says Mrs. Habiba Abdullahi, a civil servant and resident of Shingye.
“It’s been years since we last saw water from the tap.”
From Shingye to Akurba, similar frustrations echo. What went wrong? And more importantly, what is being done?
A System Drenched in Challenges
According to a senior official at the Ministry of Water Resources:
“We’ve fixed key pipelines, upgraded some treatment facilities, and procured new pumping machines. However, technical challenges and funding delays have slowed down full restoration.”
Despite these efforts, there’s no clear timeline for the return of piped water. While multiple contracts have been awarded and millions spent, the taps in Lafia remain dry.
Civic Voices Demand Accountability
Civil society groups have begun asking tough questions.
Comrade Yunusa Musa, of the Coalition for Citizens’ Rights and Development, is among them:
“We’ve heard of projects and millions spent, yet no result. Where is the water? It’s time the government opens up and explains exactly what has been done.”
He calls for a full audit of water projects and a public roadmap toward the restoration of tap water in Lafia.
The Way Forward
Experts recommend a complete overhaul and modernization of the Lafia urban water system, including:
Expansion of dam capacity or creation of auxiliary reservoirs
Upgrading water treatment infrastructure
Laying new urban pipelines to reach underserved areas
Engaging public-private partnerships (PPPs) for efficiency
Implementing transparent reporting and citizen engagement
The Verdict
Until these steps are taken — and taken seriously — the burden of clean water remains on the shoulders of ordinary citizens, who continue to spend time, energy, and scarce resources just to access life’s most basic necessity.
As Lafia waits, the people ask again:
“Where is our water?”
Filed by Suleiman Abubakar Rimi Uku, Lafia
RIMAWA GLOBAL NEWS
abubakarlawal6767@gmail.com
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