Residents of Abaji metropolis and surrounding communities in the Federal Capital Territory are facing worsening water shortages four months after the vandalisation of high-tension electricity cables supplying power to the area.
The damage to the cables linking Yaba-Piri and Kwali along the Abuja–Lokoja highway, reportedly carried out in September 2025, disrupted electricity supply and crippled water production, leaving many households without access to potable water.
A visit to the area on Saturday showed residents, mostly women, queuing as early as 5am at homes where water is pumped with generators.
Communities worst affected include Nuku, Unguwar Ayaura Pipeline, Abaji Low-Cost, Junior and Senior Staff Quarters, Unguwar Sabon-Tasha, Unguwar Wadata, Unguwar Manko, Naharati, Unguwar Kpokpolobi and Unguwar Liman.
Some residents said they now rely on neighbours or water vendors at rising costs. Mrs Fatima Ibrahim said she pays ₦100 to fetch a basin of water from a nearby house after waiting in long queues.
Another resident, Mrs Zainab Danjuma, said her family depends on buying water despite owning a borehole, as the cost of diesel makes regular pumping difficult. She added that water vendors now charge as much as ₦1,200 per truck, up from ₦700.
Others said even private and solar-powered boreholes are insufficient. Mrs Afiniki Barnabas of Nuku community noted that the council-provided solar borehole cannot meet demand, forcing residents to resort to nearby streams when supplies run out.
Reacting to the situation, the Chief of Staff to the Abaji Area Council chairman, Mohammed Kandi, confirmed that the water crisis is linked to the vandalised electricity cables.
He said the council chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Abdullahi, has engaged the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and concluded arrangements to repair the damaged lines to restore power and revive water supply and other economic activities.
Source: Daily Trust
