The Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) has commissioned a first-of-its-kind inclusive pedestrian bridge, a solar-powered borehole, and an access road in Danbare community, Kano State, to improve road safety, access to potable water, and transportation for thousands of residents and students.
The projects, inaugurated on Wednesday, are expected to benefit residents of Danbare, students of WOFAN Comprehensive School, pupils and students of about 10 neighbouring public and private schools, off-campus students of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), as well as other road users along the busy Gwarzo Road.
Speaking during the commissioning, WOFAN Founder and Group Executive Board Chair, Dr. Salamatu Garba, said the projects were conceived after extensive consultations with members of the community to identify their most pressing needs.
She explained that WOFAN adopted a community-driven approach, which identified safe road crossing, access to clean drinking water, and improved road infrastructure as the community’s priority needs.
According to Garba, WOFAN’s schools are located within a cluster of educational institutions and close to Bayero University, Kano, making the busy highway 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, specifically designed to promote inclusiveness by providing a dedicated passage for persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users and people using customised tricycles.
She said the bridge would also improve access to markets, strengthen connectivity within the community and neighbouring areas, and enhance the overall wellbeing of residents.
Garba noted that the projects were implemented to address the community’s immediate needs, resulting in safer movement for pedestrians, improved road access, and a sustainable supply of clean drinking water.
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She added that the solar-powered borehole, equipped with more than 12 water collection points, would provide reliable access to potable water for residents, while the newly constructed access road would improve mobility and stimulate economic activities in the area.
Garba called on residents to protect and maintain the facilities, stressing that their long-term sustainability depends on community ownership.
“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 Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Special Adviser on Empowerment, Hon. Nasiru Isa Dikko, described the projects as significant contributions to Kano State’s socio-economic development.
He conveyed the governor’s appreciation to WOFAN and its partners for complementing government efforts in delivering infrastructure that improves education, healthcare, transportation and the welfare of citizens.
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Dikko said the projects align with the administration’s development agenda and urged residents to protect the facilities so they would continue to benefit future generations.
Also speaking, Chairman of WOFAN’s Technical Board of Advisors, Professor Sani Miko, said the interventions addressed longstanding challenges facing Danbare, particularly chronic water shortages, poor road access and the dangers associated with crossing the busy dual carriageway.
He noted that the solar-powered borehole, fitted with 12 water collection points, would ease residents’ access to potable water, while the pedestrian bridge is among the first disability-friendly bridges in Northern Nigeria, allowing persons with disabilities to use it safely alongside other commuters.
The Director-General of the Kano Geographic Information Service (KANGIS) and Chairman of the Committee on the Identification of Illegal Structures in Kano State, Dr Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, commended WOFAN for complementing the government’s efforts through investments in community infrastructure.
He described the projects as timely interventions that would improve public safety, transportation and access to clean water, while urging other organisations and philanthropists to emulate WOFAN’s commitment to community development.
The Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Professor Haruna Musa, thanked Dr Salamatu Garba for executing projects that directly benefit members of the university community.
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