By Aminu Abubakar
Despite recurring cholera outbreaks, persistent water scarcity and mounting concerns over access to safe drinking water across communities, the Niger State Government failed to release a single naira for capital projects under the Ministry of Water Resources in the first quarter of 2026, budget implementation records have shown.
An analysis of the Niger State Government’s 2026 First Quarter Budget Performance Report revealed that the Ministry of Water Resources, which received a capital allocation of N71.11 billion in the 2026 budget, recorded zero expenditure between January and March.
The ministry’s entire allocation remained untouched despite growing concerns over the state’s water infrastructure deficit and the health risks associated with unsafe water consumption.
The report showed that N50.46 billion was budgeted for the Ministry of Water Resources headquarters, while the Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWATSAN) was allocated N18.18 billion. The Niger State Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency received a budgetary provision of N1.63 billion, while the Niger State Water and Sewage Corporation was allocated N832.68 million.
However, none of the agencies received any capital releases during the period under review.
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The development comes at a time when many communities across the state continue to struggle with inadequate access to clean and potable water, forcing residents to rely on rivers, streams, ponds and other unsafe sources for domestic use.
The failure to fund water infrastructure projects has also raised questions about the state’s preparedness to tackle recurring outbreaks of waterborne diseases, particularly cholera, which has repeatedly affected communities in Niger State.
In July 2025, health authorities reported that 13 people died from a cholera outbreak that spread across six local government areas of the state. The outbreak also left 236 people hospitalised.
The disease was first reported in Shiroro Local Government Area before spreading to other affected communities, where several residents lost their lives.
Public health experts have consistently linked cholera outbreaks to poor sanitation and inadequate access to clean drinking water.
For many rural residents, the danger posed by unsafe water is not merely a statistic but a daily reality.
A previous investigation by SolaceBase highlighted how women and children in several rural communities face heightened health risks because of inadequate access to potable water.
The report chronicled the story of Umar Angulu, a resident of Mawogi village in Lapai Local Government Area, who lost his wife, Bilikisu, during a cholera outbreak that swept through the community in 2023.
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Angulu recalled how the disease spread rapidly through the village, claiming several lives.
“We rely on a brownish water that flows from under a bridge in Mawogi for everything,” he said while recounting the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
According to him, Bilikisu suffered severe vomiting and dehydration before she was rushed to Lapai Primary Health Centre. Despite receiving treatment, her condition deteriorated and she eventually died.
Mawogi’s experience is far from isolated.
In Essangi, a remote farming community in Agaie Local Government Area, residents continue to depend on a stagnant brownish water source for drinking, cooking and washing.
Residents say the water source, which appears muddy and contaminated, remains the only available option for many households.
The consequences of consuming such water are often severe, particularly for children, pregnant women and the elderly.
Even communities located closer to urban centres continue to face water supply challenges.
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