The joy of residents of Sabon Birni town in Garko and Wudil Local Government Areas of Kano State knew no bounds at the weekend with the completion of their dilapidated bridges and culverts by the Federal Government.

Communities along Garko, Kibiya and Wudil towns, who had suffered untold hardship due to bad roads and huge socio-economic losses, expressed relief that government intervention had finally come in sight.

Prior to the repairs, the worsening condition of the road networks in Kano South Senatorial District had nearly cut off the communities from their township headquarters, road users revealed.

Besides, residents expressed delight that the reconstruction work on their culverts and bridges, which now provide proper channels for water flow, will finally end the impact of flooding during the wet season.

The residents, who spoke with journalists during a national media tour for the unveiling of capital projects under the Federal Ministry of Works, applauded President Bola Tinubu’s quick intervention after years of neglect.

Ahmadu Aliyu, a resident of Garko, told journalists that the repair of washouts at culvert locations and failed sections of the Kwanar Garko–Kibiya Road has restored socio-economic hope to residents of the area.
“For several years of neglect, residents of Garko were left with no option than to pray for divine intervention because erosion challenges here crippled farmers from moving their produce to the market. Floods also washed away farmlands. So, we say a big thank you to the government for these repairs,” Aliyu noted.

Another resident, Muhammadu Garko, who also traced the ugly condition of the major road linking Wudil and Garko, said he was overwhelmed with joy that the prevailing ecological challenges in the axis will no longer threaten lives and property.

According to him, the completion of the roads has renewed confidence that the Federal Government truly listens to the masses and addresses the pains of rural communities.

Commissioning the roads, the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, said he was satisfied with the structural integrity of the work done, adding that the capital projects were designed to ease accessibility challenges in rural Kano communities.
Minister Umahi, who was represented by the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Community Engagement (North-West), Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, explained that repairs on washouts at culvert locations and failed sections of the Kwanar Garko–Kibiya Road, as well as hydraulic structures along the Wudil–Garko Road, were part of 260 special emergency projects being propelled by Tinubu’s administration across the country.

The presidential aide added that of the 260 projects, 46 are located across the North-West, reaffirming President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive developmental growth in the region.

Yakasai had earlier commissioned a 1.5-kilometre road network alongside drainage linking access routes at the New Economic City, Bichi, and the reconstruction of a three-kilometre dual carriageway on Magajin Rumfa Way, connecting Sabo Bakinzo, Tarauni Way and Ahmadu Bello Way in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano.

Meanwhile, the representative of the Minister has challenged contractors handling the last section of the Kaduna–Zaria–Kano and Kano North-West Bypass projects to step up construction work to enable timely delivery.

Inspecting the Zaria–Kano reconstruction work, Yakasai expressed concern that the slow pace of the job had resulted in the wastage of productive hours on the road instead of smooth journeys.

The presidential aide revealed that the Federal Government recently revoked the multi-billion-naira contract from the former contractor due to unresolved contractual issues, but challenged the new contractor to complete the road as scheduled.

At the ongoing 37.8-kilometre North-West Bypass, the supervising engineer, Abba Mukhtar Bello of the Federal Ministry of Works, said the project, which started in 2024, stands at 6.8 per cent completion.

He raised concerns over issues of right of way and compensation to farm owners as major factors slowing down the job and appealed to the state government to intervene.