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The Proposed Kano BMT/BRT: Matters Arising

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Nura Hassan, Doctoral Candidate ,Department Of Geography BUK

 

 

By Nura Hassan

The Proposed Kano Bus Mass Transit BMT/ Bus Rapid Transit BRT, Kano metropolis is a rapidly growing center that is in constant need of an innovative urban management system which includes the development of an efficient urban transport system.

 

 

This perhaps informed the statement from the new Commissioner of Transport and Housing Mahmoud Muhammad Santsi that the State Government has finalized its arrangements for the take-off of the newly introduced Bus Mass Transit system in Kano Metropolis when he inspected some newly branded buses stationed at Hotoro for the commencement of the Bus Mass Transit (BMT) system in Kano.

 

He added that the state has signed MOU with Messrs Shaaanxi Company and Zoe Construction Ltd., for the provision of buses and bus terminals for the commencement of this mass transit system.

 

This is, of course, a welcome development particularly at this material time,    Kano State is no doubt assuming the status megacity and the development of transport is a key in putting the state on a transport map.

 

 

 

The provision of reliable mass transport systems to accommodate the state’s population surge is an important catalyst for its economic development and spatial integration.

 

 

The drive by this administration is a timely positive intervention if rooted in sound pedestal guided by policy and expertise. The transport policy dialogue communique of 2016 affirms the state’s readiness in looking at Lagos as a role model.

 

This system of mass people’s movement has so many advantages because it is effective, efficient, and reliable and above all, its uncompromising safety.

 

 

 

The idea of light rail operations in Kano rests on reliable well-guided BRT/BMT to facilitate intermodal transportation in the metropolis.

 

 

It is in this regard, that I want to highlight some issues regarding this BMT/BRT system to enable the teeming population to understand the circumstances surrounding its conceptualization and its implications.

 

 

It is important at this juncture to draw the attention of the new actors of the transport management in Kano State on how the issues of BMT/BRT started in state to enable them to revisit the well guided professional best practice preparation stages to avoid a short-lived or flash operation.

The state transport sector had received technical support for the development of institutional and regulatory frameworks from the World Bank and Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility, a DFID funded program.

 

 

The outcomes of such technical support are tailored towards putting in place a transport planning authority to champion the establishment of the public mass transport systems such as Bus Mass Transit (BMT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other related forms of the public transportation system. In the area of establishment of BMT/BRT, a lot of technical studies were conducted to provide an evidence-based framework to guide the implementation of these modern transport systems.

 

The technical studies cut across policy and institutional arrangements as well as public transport planning and concept design.

 

The policy support includes the development of transport policy for Kano, drafting the legislation for the establishment of Kano Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (KAMATA), organizational structure for Kano Roads Transport Authority (KAROTA), operational and maintenance assessment of Kano Line, the study of the 2- and 3-wheeler industry in Kano, a study on the socioeconomic impact on the ban of ‘Achaba’ operation in Kano, etc, On the transport planning which is critical for the development of BRT/BMT system includes the development of preliminary strategic transport master plan, a road map for the establishment of the public transport system, Kano travel demand surveys, fast track corridors viability studies on Katsina, Zaria and Gwarzo corridors, etc.

 

 

The concept design supports are based on the outcomes of transport planning support. The technical studies include a pre-feasibility study on the concept design for transport Hubs/terminals in Kano Metropolis, bus route corridor concept design, alternatives analysis study on Murtala Mohammed way through Katsina road,. The technical studies are expected to provide the ground for the re-positioning of the transport sector and by extension the public transport system with the then Ministry of Works, Housing, and Transport providing only policy direction.

It is on this note, that there are so many questions surrounding the commencement of such important operations. Professionally, it is expected that based on the stages of BMT/BRT operations from technical studies in the domain Ministry of Housing and Transport, competitive bidding is required for the engagement of any operator, this will allow the Government to select competent operator/s with a proven track record of operations in the past. This will provide a local and international window for the licensing of any competent operator because Kano public transport environment should not be akin to children playing court because of its overbearing application to many sectors of the state’s economy. I believe, the new actors of transport management in Kano may not be in the know of these critical stages which stand worthy of revisiting for the successful commencement of BMT/BRT operations and compromising on this critical stages that will inevitably spell doom for the system thereby eventual eroding the confidence of the system by the public if commences on the wrong footing.

A key prerequisite component for BMT/BRT system in Kano is the Kano Travel Demand Surveys (KTDS), the largest data set that had examined existing travel patterns, land use, and social infrastructure in Kano.

 

 

Two of the outcomes of the surveys are the average passenger demand and the number of buses needed for real BMT/BRT operations. Zaria corridor from Eastern bye pass to Yankura, a distance of about 15.8 Km requires approximately 140-152 buses for BMT/BRT operations as of 2012 based on average passenger demand of 119,726.

 

 

This number is expected to have doubled requiring more buses based on different projections and scenarios. The buses needed for the service must be suitable for use on intensive bus services and capable of withstanding the operating conditions specific to Kano.

 

 

Experts are of the view that a rigid single deck bus, approximately 12 meters in length with a front engine and high floor, and capacity for 90 passengers with approximately 40 seated is required for this service.

 

 

Moving away from the southern part of Kano Metropolis to the Katsina road corridor in the Western part, it has been calculated that the peak passenger volume is 5,643 passengers per hour, between the hour 09:00 and 10:00 am.

 

 

 

At a maximum capacity of 90 passengers per bus, this equates to 63 buses per hour, or one bus every 60/63 = 0.95 minutes (or every 57 seconds).

 

 

With a round trip time of 116 minutes, the total bus requirement will be 116/0.95 = 122. The total number of buses required for the pilot corridor was put at 201 buses. Gwarzo corridor requires about 91 buses with 9-10 am hourly demand of 61 buses for 4,795 passengers.

 

 

These are some of the statistics on only three corridors with no space in this writing to further enumerate other routes requirements in Kano Metropolis.

 

 

 

The essence of providing the above statistics is to draw the attention of the government on the needful requirements because we believe that the essence of embarking on such projects is for the betterment of the teeming population of Kano Metropolis as any shortfall below these basic requirements may defeat the objectives of this entire public transport intervention and place the state to be a subject of ridicule.

 

The Commissioner may like to know that Lagos State, the leading state in the Federation in terms of BRT/BMT provision with a planning authority- Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport

 

Average Weekday Travel Demand on Kano Metropolitan BMT/BRT routes

 

Authority (LAMATA), an agency under the state Ministry of Transport populated by world-class experts has unveils 550 buses on 13.68 kilometer-long corridor of Oshodi- Abule Egba just last week.

The Oshodi-Abule Egba corridor is a major link for residents who commute in and out of Alimosho, Egbeda, Ijaiye, Iyana Ipaja, and Oshodi.

We will not abandon light rail Project-Kano Govt.

The route is also a gateway to neighboring Ogun State and the Republic of Benin. The route with only about 60,000 commuters (based on research) requires 550 high and medium capacity buses with upgraded-ticketing system. In the words of the Lagos State Governor, “ Travel time, which is estimated at an average of two hours during peak periods, will be significantly reduced to an average of 30 minutes. This will improve the health of our people, engender a safer environment, and increase the value of socio-economic activities in the State.”

 

As a consultant in the transport industry, I know that all the indices that led to the establishment of a well-guided successful BRT and likewise BMT in Lagos are the product of detailed technical studies with the results fully put in place for the benefits of Lagos population. The Kano project looks like the State Government is not ready for it. The approach they adopt is the copy and paste approach because the technical requirements for the project have not been met.

 

Away from travel demand statistics, the licensed operator should be able to provide the vehicle life, organizational structure, operating system and procedure, fleet maintenance system, operating cost and revenues, fare levels, etc. these combined on the procedural standard set by the government in procuring an operator is critical for successful public transport operation.

 

 

The Transport department has the mandate to advise the government on the issues relating to private sector participation, however, either due to low technical competence or other reasons, the department is unable to do so. At the moment, the licensed operator has less than thirty buses on the routes that demand over 500 buses. The whole projects looks like a joke and one wonders if the State Executive Council is fully aware of the implications of this project.

 

The provision of critical Do-Minimum infrastructure is a pre-requisite for BMT/BRT operations. The infrastructure includes the bus stops, lay byes, and concourse, foyer, terminals, depots, traffic safety measures, pedestrian bridges, street lighting, etc. The spatial positioning of this paraphernalia is linked to detailed route assessment and technical guidance for long, medium, and short running routes. It is not likely that the company commissioned has the capacity to deliver.

 

 

In conclusion, in Nov 2016, transport policy stakeholder consultation where issues of critical concerns for the repositioning of the transport sector were discussed and rested on fast-tracking the adoption of the draft Kano state transport policy to anchor the institutional and regulatory drive of this present administration in turning around the transport sector. The policy provides an internal ‘thinking’ and visioning process of transforming the Transport System in Kano State. It gave recommendations on transport policy options that will create an enabling environment for the introduction of a sustainable urban transport system in the state through Private Sector Participation. It is desirable if this new Ministry of transport will revisit this policy and fast track its adoption to rail the vision and mission of the state fully guided towards maximum efficiency.

In the transport policy communiqué issued, the entrenchment of the principle of professionalism and standardization in the transport sector was recommended. This is expected to revolve not only on the provision of the public transport system in the state but the entire system of transport operations.

 

With this transport policy dialogue communiqué, transport policy document and world-class technical studies that gulped colossal amount of resources funded by development partners called for the commissioner to revisit them may enable the Government to properly re-kick start the machineries of this ministry and equally root the commencement of BRT/BMT on a positive with the Ministry anchoring the policy direction.

 

 

 

Nura Ibrahim Hassan

Urban Transport Expert and Phd Doctorate student at Bayero University Kano Writes from Kano State

Ibrahimnura22@gmail.com

 

 

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Features

Kano Women Battle for Bed Spaces at Major Hospitals, Leaving Many Stranded or Worse – Dead

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Baby Amina is yet to cry over a week after her birth, as no bed available at tertiary health facilities

Aisha Ahmad Ismail

It was a dark day for Malama Khadija, who despite heavy bleeding with no pads on has been on the road for almost 8 hours, seeking help for a baby that has not cried a day after birth even after visiting 9 hospitals in Kano.

The new mother was forced to ride in her husband’s tricycle, ignoring the dripping blood as they went to 9 hospitals, none accepted them for mainly reasons of bed space

Khadija birthed a girl on Monday, when health care workers at asibitin Bela noticed the child did not cry, and later referred them to Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital for better access to professionals.

Here, a security guard asked them to ‘not waste their time’ as they do not care for children who did not cry at birth.

Other hospitals, the new parents visited Murtala Muhammad specialist where the father said the child was first checked, and her legs pinched with ‘something’.
They were later asked to leave for lack of bed space, and referred to another hospital.

The worried mother held the little girl now named Aminatu as they headed to Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital. There, the doctors refused to attend to the child because they were on strike.

Malam Bala, the new father and a tricycle rider told this reporter that a police officer threatened to shoot a doctor for delayed attendance to his daughter born with similar condition to his. Doctors asked them to leave.

The brave new parents jostled the new born to another pediatric hospital; Sheikh Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu Pediatrics Hospital along Zoo Road, and their hopes were raised when a doctor started checking on her. A few minutes later, she came up with the same answer as the specialist hospital – no bed space.

Again, they left for Aminu Kano Teaching hospital with the help of a philanthropist they met on their long, hope dashing journey, Hajiya Binta and like before, there was no available bed space.

The parents, exhausted but not giving up on their child, went to a private health facility, where a bed space costs N10,000 per night, something the father said he could not afford if not for the charitable efforts of Hajiya Binta.

With her help, they paid for file N5,000, tests to be run on little Aminatu N6,000, drugs cost N15,000 and an injection N4,000.

He said they were able to spend just one night, as the expenses were much and he had to owe the hospital N21, 000.
Little Aminatu did not cry 7 days after her birth at which was the time of filing this report, and her parents are at home hoping one day, she would cry or stay quiet forever.

Khadija’s case is amongst the many maternal health related complications in the state; in Sept. 2022, a lady, Zainab lost her child and her life at Murtala Muhammad Specialist hospital; in February 2023, a woman now late Hajiya Shema’u Sani Labaran bled to death due to lack of cash at hand for treatments.
In 2024, an investigation by Solace base led to a whole community of women at Mazan Gudu community, Gabasawa LGA who survive pregnancy and childbirth on luck.

These are not isolated cases; but few of the many increasing preventable deaths at childbirth. According to UNICEF in 2018, Nigeria contributes 14% of global maternal deaths. The global body says at least 262, 000 babies die at birth, as the infant mortality rate stands at 69% per 1,000 births.

According to the National Health Care Development Agency 145 women die daily at childbirth in the country, with the highest figures coming from Northern Nigeria.

The staggering figures of maternal mortality and morbidity must have alarmed the Kano state government, leading to finding ways to ease the burden, amongst which is the creation of the Kano State Health Trust Fund created in 2017.
Women Die at Birth Despite Government’s Claimed Enhanced Funding
“I just returned from the burial of a woman who died from childbirth complications, the child is alive and hearty.”

This is the response of the Ja’en ward head, located at Sharada, Gwale LG, Isma’il Sa’ad Usman to the question of maternal mortality and morbidity is his domain.

He said he is not entirely sure why, but despite government’s interventions and NGOs, maternal deaths are not uncommon in many areas in Kano, including his.

Our trip to the primary health care in the area was really short, as health officers were ‘afraid’ of the media.

The Ja'en PHC was bustling with women hoping to get ante-natal care

The Ja’en PHC was bustling with women hoping to get ante-natal care

However, one officer who spoke briefly said women at the local level are wising up to accessing health facilities like theirs, adding that the state has trained officers enabling them to quickly refer to complicated births to higher facilities.
Interviews at some primary health care facilities reveal reduced death rates at the facilities.

A tour of Gwagwarwa primary health care showed women showing up for antenatal as health personnel move around to cater for their needs.

A health personnel at the facility who spoke on anonymously said though there are deaths at childbirth or after due to complications, they mostly occur at secondary and tertiary institutions or at home.

 

Image 3 . Women attending ante natal at Gwagwarwa PHC

Women attending ante natal at Gwagwarwa PHC

The health officer revealed that whenever a complication arises from birth, they are quick to refer to more qualified facilities, but lack of bed spaces of money for basic things make the patients return home, only to later die from preventable health complications.

According to the source, they have heard stories of deaths of either mother and child, or one of the two afterwards.

The village head of Gama, Malam Rabi’u Muhd Isyaku said people are poor, and have resorted to seeking help from Friday mosques or radio stations to treat maternal health problems.

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He said there are reports of maternal mortality, but it hardly goes public as they are mostly recorded at home.

“I am always heart broken when I hear a plea for help to cater for a pregnant woman during or after birth,” he added.
Nurse Laments Maternal Mortality; Blames Shortage of Staff .

Nurse Maimuna works at one of the government hospitals in Kano, she said they have recorded deaths at different stages of childbirth.

She said they have recorded deaths due to obstructed labor and prolonged labor that comes late to the hospital.

The nurse added that some women labor (active labor) for 20-30 hours, contrary to the ‘normal’ hours, leading to eventual deaths of both mother and child, or just the child.

Nurse Maimuna lamented how they are overwhelmed with patients that they skip women who are in need in urgent help or C-section.

She has witnessed few women die due to work overload that distracts health personnel at tertiary some institutions.
KHETFUND: Improved Maternal Health Care Promises Fulfilled?

In 2017, the Kano government led by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje championed the State Trust Fund to help augment the state budget on health, including maternal and newborn health.
Speaking with this reporter, the former state health commissioner, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa said the law mandates 5% of the fund’s money to the health sector.

He said from the time of Governors Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, there has been a free birth and post birth policy which all governments sustained irrespective of political ideologies.

Former health commissioner Kano, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa

Former health commissioner Kano, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa

However, there are times when the budget funds are not released on time, or the government is starved of cash, thus the 5% of the fund to ensure the maternal and childbirth ‘always’ gets the necessary attention and funds.
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Also speaking with this reporter, the director operations, KHETFUND, Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu said the 5% for maternal and children is on standing order and has never been delayed, unlike funds meant for hospitals- from primary to tertiary, institutions and others.

According to him, the 5% is handed over to the Kano Hospitals Management Board monthly.

According to another official of KHETFUND, Hamisu Abubakar who is the director admin and services, there has been constant cash flow into the fund from the mandatory 5% monthly IGR and 1% from LGAs allocation since the inception of the current Abba Kabir Yusuf administration, signaling that the fund is not starved of funds.
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KHETFUND Budget Performance
The Kano State Health Care Fund mandates that 50% of the budget be allocated to hospital (Pri, Secondary and Tertiary), 25% to health education institutions 2% to running of the fund, 2% to the vulnerable groups, 5% to maternal health care.

Kano budget performance shows low performance of the KHETFUND; however, this does not affect the 5% maternal health care fund as confirmed by officials of KHETFUND.

The 1st quarter of 2024 budget shows 0% performance of the budget despite the allocation of N800,000,000 to the fund as shown on page 7.

With a budget of N1,200,000,000 in 2023, the fund recorded only 2.1% budget performance, also as seen on page 7 of the document.

With a budget of N1,400,000,000 in 2022, KHETFUND had a 5% budget performance as seen on page 6 of the budget performance document.

YEAR
AMOUNT
PERFORMANCE %

2024
N800m
0%

2023
N1.2bn
2.1%

2022
N1.4bn
5%

Source: Kano budget performance documents

The low performance, according to a KHETFUND official, is not unconnected to the fact that hospitals and institutions do not write to the fund requesting for their needs.

Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu, director operations of the fund said they disburse funds only when requested and after due process – with the exception of the maternal health 5% of course.
Despite 5% KHETFUND Maternal Allocation, Why Maternal Health Crisis?
A trip to the Kano Hospital Management Board as directed by the Kano State Health Ministry through the spokesperson, Ibrahim Abdullahi led me to the office of the officer in charge KHETFUND at the board.

He however refused to speak for ‘lack of authorization’ to speak with the media on the issue.

Another trip to the board revealed that the 5% fund from KHETFUND was received regularly. Speaking anonymously, an official said there are many factors for persistent problems with maternal health in Kano.

The first issue the official raised was that the fund was only meant to ‘augment’ needs in the sector, and this will be based on request.

The second problem the official noted was lack of enough doctors/health personnel to man any additional bed or space at the hospitals thus the fund was used to purchase drugs and all other valuables/instruments, including for CS to care for pregnant women and the babies.

NGOs Worry Over Shortage of Bedspaces, underutilization of PHCs
Sanusi Hashim, is the contact person for Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment, he said they are worried by widely reported maternal deaths despite increased funding and positive government policies.

According to him, many factors are responsible for the trend including
Under utilization of PHCs; According to the officer, they have come to understand that most pregant women would rather go to the ‘bigger’ hospitals that the Primary Health Cares within their locality. Though some PHCs are in terrible conditions, many have been improved to even carry out Cesarean Sections should the need arise. He said these could have eased pressure on the secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state, reduce mortality rate further and provide adequate health care to both mother and child – free of charge.

Lack of bed spaces: Due to the inflow of patients from all 44 LGAs in Kano, Mr. Hashim Sa’id there is congestion and lack of space. He revealed that a tour to one of the tertiary hospitals; Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital showed no bed space available to cater for more patients. This he said.

NGO Provides Additional Solutions to Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment said there is urgent need for government to equip, upgrade and provide adequate personnel at ‘all’ primary health care centers in the state.

The contact person, of the organization, Sanusi Hashim says this will take excellent health care to the doorstep of the masses in all LGA, thus reduce pressure on the secondary and tertiary institutions.

After that, he advocates for intensive campaign on the importance and need for pregnant women to patronize PHCs in their areas.

Sanusi also called on the Kano State Government to increase wards and bed spaces at all health facilities.
On their parts, traditional leaders at Sharada Ja’en and Gwagwarwa seek increased funding and special packages for the poor in the society.

 

 

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How Maryam Abacha Varsity Produced 5 Provosts of Nursing Colleges, 1,000 Lab Scientists, 100 Lawyers, Others in 12 Years

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Twelve years after its establishment, the Maryam Abacha American University of Niger (MAAUN), in Maradi, Niger Republic, has produced five Provosts of Nursing Colleges in Borno, Yobe, and Bauchi States.

Dr. Hadiza Sabo a graduate of Nursing from the University is the current Provost of Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, in Damaturu, Yobe state.

Varsity Appoints Gombe Emir As Chancellor

Equally, Dr. Hadiza Yahya is serving as Provost, College of Nursing Sciences in Maiduguri, Borno state, while Dr. Rakiya Saleh is the Provost College of Nursing Sciences in Bauchi, Bauchi state. The trio of Rakiya and the two aforementioned Hadizas all bagged their first and postgraduate degrees from MAAUN.

In addition, Kiloh Nifor who is also the Provost, College of Nursing Sciences in Jalingo, Taraba state, and Dr. Yusuf Bello, the Provost, Kaduna State College of Nursing Sciences, are also alumni of the university.

MAAUN, which was founded in 2013, is owned by Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, a philanthropist and French Linguistics scholar.

Politics Digest also reports that the Faculty of Law of the premier Ivory Tower, established only in 2015, has produced over 400 law graduates, with more than a hundred of them already called to the Nigerian Bar.

In addition, over 1,000 Medical Laboratory Scientists produced by MAAUN are presently working in Nigeria, while no fewer than 700 of them are practicing abroad.

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It would be recalled that the institution was the first to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in Niger Republic, where thousands of nursing officers trooped for their university education from different countries.

“The Nursing Degree programme greatly increased the number of nursing graduates in Nigeria. The university started offering Nursing in 2012 and has so far graduated over 2,000 graduates who are rendering their services at different hospitals in Nigeria and abroad,” said the university’s President, Prof. Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo.

Barrister Umar Isa Sulaiman, a law lecturer at MAAUN, while informing Politics Digest that their Faculty commenced academic activities in 2013, said: “Our graduates are working in different government agencies and parastatals. Some are Sharia Court Judges, Magistrates, and some are working in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“Also, a high number of our graduates are in private practice. We do meet and appear before different courts. I can categorically tell you that they are doing wonderfully well as advocates.”

Furthermore, the Prof. Adamu Gwarzo-owned university has been positively impacting the lives of several Nigerians.

A MAAUN graduate of Nursing, Hamisu Iliyasu, who hailed from Sokoto State, told this newspaper how his alma mater produced many Directors and Heads of Nursing Colleges in Nigeria.

“You know universities in the North don’t offer Nursing; you either go to the South or you end up retiring at Level 14 as a civil servant. But our prestigious Maryam Abacha American University came to the rescue of so many of us, and we are grateful,” he said.

According to Dr. Kabiru Mahmud, a staff member of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Department of MAAUN, “Our great and pace-setting university has helped increase the number of Medical Laboratory Scientists, not only in Northern Nigeria but in the country at large. We have students from across the country.

“Some came from Lagos, Benin, and Ibadan. I can categorically tell you that Maryam Abacha American University of Niger has the highest number of young Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria.

“Before now, one could hardly find someone with a degree in this field, but only a Diploma. But MAAUN came and provided the opportunity to many undergraduates. Go to Federal Medical Centres across the country, and you will find it difficult counting the number of their staff who are our products.”

Checks by this newspaper further revealed that some MAAUN alumni are presently working at the National Hospital in Abuja and the Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, in Kano state.

The university according to findings has the highest number of Nurses working in Canada, USA and other foreign countries from West Africa.

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Hotoro Residents Threaten to Vote Out Leaders in 2027 Over Dilapidated Road

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The untarred and dilapidated road

Residents of Hotoro in Kano State are voicing their growing frustration with local and state leaders over the deplorable condition of a key road in their community. In interviews with Nigerian Tracker, the residents expressed deep dissatisfaction and issued a warning that they may withhold their votes in the 2027 elections if their concerns continue to be ignored.

Shehu Usman, a long-time resident of Hotoro, articulated the sentiments of many in the area. “Our area is a vote bank, not just in Nassarawa Local Government but across the whole of Kano State,” Usman said. “Yet, the road is no longer passable in both the rainy and dry seasons, and those we elected—from the Governor to the Chairman and even the legislators—seem not to care about the deplorable state of this road.

The road in question, which remains untarred, stretches from the Ring Road around Nur Petroleum Junction, passes through Hotoro Primary and Secondary Schools, and ends at the Hotoro Police Division. The poor state of the road has been a long-standing issue, but despite repeated complaints, nothing has been done to address it.

Iliya Musa, another concerned resident, lamented that politicians only seem to care about the community during election season. “During election season, politicians flock to our area, making promises and shaking hands. But once they are in office, they turn a deaf ear to our problems,” Musa said. “This road could easily be constructed, but our leaders have ignored us, and now, it feels like the area is turning into a slum.”

As 2027 approaches, the residents of Hotoro are making it clear that their votes will not be taken for granted. If their elected leaders fail to address the worsening conditions in the community, they may face a harsh electoral backlash from a constituency that has had enough of broken promises.

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