Women Farmers Construct Borehole, Bridge In Kano Community

The Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) has commissioned an inclusive pedestrian bridge, a solar-powered borehole and an access road in Danbare community, Kano State, in projects aimed at improving road safety, access to clean water and transportation for thousands of residents, students and commuters.

The projects are expected to serve residents of Danbare, students of WOFAN Comprehensive School, pupils of about 10 neighbouring public and private schools, off-campus students of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and other users of the busy Gwarzo Road corridor.

Speaking at the commissioning, WOFAN Founder and Group Executive Board Chair, Dr. Salamatu Garba, said the interventions were developed following consultations with members of the host community to identify their most pressing needs.

According to her, the consultations revealed that safe road crossing, access to potable water and improved road infrastructure ranked highest among residents’ priorities, prompting the organisation to adopt a community-driven approach to addressing the challenges.

Garba noted that the location of WOFAN Comprehensive School within a cluster of educational institutions and close to Bayero University had made the dual carriageway a major safety concern for thousands of students who cross the road daily.

She described the pedestrian bridge as the first of its kind in Kano State to incorporate accessibility features for persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users and people using customised tricycles.

She added that beyond improving pedestrian safety, the bridge would enhance connectivity within the community and provide easier access to schools, markets and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Garba also said the solar-powered borehole, equipped with more than 12 water collection points, would provide a sustainable source of potable water for residents, while the newly constructed access road would improve movement within the area and ease transportation challenges.

She urged members of the community to take ownership of the facilities to ensure their sustainability.

“We have demonstrated that communities do not always have to wait for the government to solve every problem. When residents, institutions and development organisations work together, they can provide practical solutions that improve lives,” she said.

Representing the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Special Adviser on Empowerment, Nasiru Isa Dikko, described the projects as valuable contributions to the state’s development efforts.

He said the government appreciated WOFAN and its partners for complementing public investments in infrastructure and urged residents to safeguard the facilities for future generations.

Chairman of WOFAN’s Technical Board of Advisors, Prof. Sani Miko, said the interventions addressed longstanding challenges in Danbare, particularly inadequate access to potable water, poor road infrastructure and the dangers associated with crossing the busy highway. He noted that the pedestrian bridge is among the first disability-friendly bridges in Northern Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Haruna Musa, said the bridge would significantly improve the safety of students and residents who regularly cross the road. The Director-General of the Kano Geographic Information Service (KANGIS), Dr. Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, commended the initiative as a timely investment in public infrastructure.

Chairman of the WOFAN Comprehensive School Parents-Teachers Association, Isma’il Musa Kalla, welcomed the project, saying it would improve the safety of thousands of students and parents. However, he appealed to the Kano State Government to halt the proposed establishment of a gas refilling plant near the school, warning that its location within a residential area hosting several schools could pose safety and environmental risks.

The District Head of Kumbotso, Alhaji Abdullahi Sunusi Barde, and the Ward Head of Danbare, Abdulmuminu Sharif, also commended the intervention, pledging community support for the protection and maintenance of the facilities to ensure they continue to benefit residents for years to come.