Journal of Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences JAHSS

2019, 5(1): 12-20

PRIMARY RESEARCH

A history of the transformation of water supply in Kano,

Keywords Abstract
Water This paper examines the introduction of piped water during the colonial period and how people resisted it. Water
Kano is an important basic necessity of life that is very crucial to the socio-economic development of any society. In
Development fact, adequate provision of water serves as basic pre-requisite for industrial development. Before the introduction
Transformation and resistance of piped water in the 20th century in Kano, the people recognized the necessity and importance of water supply
in the execution of their daily activities. Traditionally, the people of Kano used various means to provide water
Received: 26 November 2018 for domestic consumption, use in cottage industries and for other purposes. Some of the major sources of water
Accepted: 02 January 2019 included wells, dams, rainfall/rainwater and rivers. In addition to the private wells inside the houses, there were
Published: 20 February 2019 some popular public wells located in various parts of the parts of the city. The British conquest of Kano in 1903
led to the imposition of colonial rule. The provision of piped water supply in Nigeria 􀅫irst started in Lagos in
towards the end of the 19th century. The process of water supply in Kano started in 1924 and commissioned in
1931. At the initial stage, many people refused to drink piped water (ruwan pampo) and even speculated that
whoever consumed it would certainly loss his faith. In order for the British colonial administrators to compel
people to patronize the water, most of the historic public wells were destroyed. However, despite the lukewarm
attitude shown by the people of Kano toward the piped water, it gradually became more acceptable to the extent
that a poem was composed in praise of the Europeans for water supply. This paper using extant literature and oral
information explores the history of the transformation of water supply in Kano.

© 2019 The Author(s). Published by TAF Publishing.

INTRODUCTION nized the importance of power and water supply in the ex-
Water has been among the major necessity of life. Water ecution of their daily activities. Traditionally, the people of
is important basic utility that is very crucial to the socio- Kano used various means to provide power and water for
economic development of any society. In fact, adequate pro- both domestic consumption and use in cottage industries.
vision of water serves as basic pre-requisite for industrial Some of the major sources of water included wells, dams,
development. The history of the transformation of water in rainfall/rainwater and rivers (Abdullahi, 1988; Mustafa &
Kano is an important virgin area of research in contempo- Sharifov, 2018; Okpala, Omojuwa, Elenwo, & Opoko, 2017).
rary period, but often neglected by many scholars and re- In addition to the private wells inside the houses, some of
searchers alike. Kano is one of the states of Nigeria. It is lo- the major public wells in the city included Shada Koko lo-
cated in the northern part of Nigeria. Kano is the most popu- cated at Kofar Wambai, Maidakasha at Sani Mainagge, Yan-
lous state in Nigeria, with 9,383,682 people according to the goro, Mai Burgame, Kundiske at behind Wazirin Kano resi-
2006 National population census. Kano has been one of the dence, Ta’annabi at Durumin Iya, Manani at Gwale near the
leading commercial and industrial centres in Nigeria and in- present Veterinary, Cijaki, Tamarmara at Marmara, Algaita
deed in Africa. Before the introduction of modern electricity at Mabusa, Tasheshe at Sheshe and Tumbururu (Su􀅫i, 1993).
and piped water in Kano in the 20th century, people recog- These sources supplied water for consumption and used in
* corresponding author: Junaidu Danladi
† email: [email protected]

The Author(s). Published by TAF Publishing. This is an Open Access article distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
13 J. adv. humanit. soc. sci. 2019

the cottage industries. Due to the unsecured nature of these vance stage, Kano N.A had reserved funds of £349015 that
sources that contaminated the water, there were prevalence was considered adequate to meet the cost of machinery and
of waterborne diseases in Kano. Therefore, the introduction equipment from England (Fika, 1978). It was such 􀅫inan-
of piped water no doubt had a signi􀅫icant impact on the so- cial strength that enabled Kano to embark on the two gigan-
cial and economic development of Kano. tic projects of water and electricity supply ever 􀅫inanced by
any Nigerian Native Administration and indeed in the whole
METHODOLOGY of British West Africa. Both projects were executed at the
This study adopts historical approach that involves the use cost of £333,000 including a contribution of £20,000 made
of both primary and secondary data. The primary data in- by the Colonial Government (NAK/1651: 16). By the end
clude oral information collected through interviews with of 1930, both water and electricity were being supplied to
relevant informants, as well as the archival materials re- a number of private consumers and various public institu-
trieved from the National Archives Kaduna (NAK). While the tions. For example, an approximate amount of 80,000 gal-
secondary data comprises published and unpublished liter- lons of water were being supplied to private consumers and
ature. Some of the published works include books and jour- public institutions daily. The combined project of electric-
nals. The unpublished works comprise PhD theses, masters ity and water was of􀅫icially commissioned in February 1931
and bachelor dissertations. Both qualitative and quantita- (NAK/SNP/628:67).
tive methods are used in analyzing the collected data. The commissioning of the project was occasioned by a be-
AN OVERVIEW OF EARLY WATER SUPPLY IN KANO 􀅫itting moment that was well attended by many important
Electricity and water supply were introduced by British dignitaries such as British delegates headed by the Lieu-
during the colonial period. The provision of electricity in tenant Governor of Northern Nigeria, C. W. Alexander; while
Nigeria 􀅫irst started in Lagos in 1896 when the two 30kw the emir of Kano, Abdullahi Bayero, who was the head of
generating plants were installed in order to provide elec- the Native Authority led a number local notables. The Lieu-
tricity to Lagos. The project was undertaken by the Pub- tenant Governor of Northern Nigeria, C. W. Alexander made
lic Works Department (Manafa, 1979). The process of elec- a speech during the occasion, pointing out that many peo-
tricity and water supply in Kano started in 1924, when ple had speculated that the project was a waste of time and
some various gravitational and pumping tests were carried resources, but now everyone could see the relevance what
out in the vicinity of the town. It is important to empha- had been accomplished. The occasion was a remarkable
size that the scheme was initially meant to provide water event according to the account of Mallam Dauda, who de-
only, but because of the importance of electricity in the scribed it in a newspaper report (Larkin, 2008).
pumping of water it became necessary to include it in the According Larkin (2008), the grand opening of infrastruc-
project. Therefore, by 1926, the water scheme was enlarged tural projects like the Kano Water and electric light works
to include an electricity generating plant. The Water and are both a visual spectacle and political ritual… Rituals like
Electricity Projects were located adjacent to each other at these are moments where the public display of colonial au-
Challawa, about 12 miles from the city. The primary func- thority was made manifest and were also about the spec-
tion of the electricity scheme was to supply electric power tacle of technology itself. For British, Water and Electric
to the pumps at three intake wells at the Challawa river Light project was evidence of their success in promoting
bed and the high lift pumps at the Panshekara power house modernizing improvements which they used to legitimize
from which the water was to be raised to the reservoir on their domination, which was mainly viewed by the colo-
Goron Dutse located in the city. In addition, the scheme nized as way for exploitation. The project was also public
was planned to supply electric power and water to Euro- display to the people that the emir of Kano and his admin-
pean quarters, public institutions, hospitals, railway, town- istration recognized the importance of progressive infras-
ship, Fagge and Kano city (NAK/SNP/12004:25). tructural projects like electricity and piped water (Larkin,
The project was undertaken by Kano Native Administra- 2008).
tion (N.A.) under the Public Works Department (P.W.D). It Despite the quite perceived importance of water to human-
is important to emphasis that Kano Native Administration ity, at early stage of its introduction in Kano, many people
was then regarded as one of the richest Native Adminis- particularly in the ancient City were reluctant to patronize
trations in Nigeria because of the huge revenue collected it to the extent that a special clerk had to be engaged as pro-
from the people. By 1929, when the project reached an ad- pagandist charged with the duty to educate people on the
ef􀅫icacy of electricity. Despite the campaign of the clerk, it

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2
2019 J. Danladi – A history of the transformation of water . . . . 14

seemed that it had very little success in convincing the peo- Christian missionaries that had succeeded signi􀅫icantly in
ple in the City to patronize the services in the early years converting many people into Christianity in southern Nige-
of his campaign. In 1933, the clerk had reported to the au- ria. Thus, they were fully prepared at least intellectually
thority that although his campaign was unable to convince to resist any attempt aim at converting them to new re-
the people, at least it was making the services more widely ligion. Islam was introduced into Kano and other areas
known and creating discussion among the populace. The of northern Nigeria some centuries prior to the 20th cen-
colonial authorities were however hopeful that the cam- tury. There was widespread resistance and sustained at-
paign would bear fruitful result in the near future. It is per- tacks by the religious scholars on colonialism that focused
tinent to emphasize it took some time for the Kano peo- mainly on its material culture (Umar, 1997). These schol-
ple that had a long tradition of modernity to accept mod- ars inveighed against Muslims who consorted with the Eu-
ern facilities like piped water easily. Electricity was con- ropeans through their technologies. Many scholars viewed
sidered as novel technology that was hitherto unknown to the European conquest and domination as a way of con-
most of people. That was perhaps why Fika notes that to verting them to Christianity. In the same vein, these schol-
have piped water and electric light installed in Kano was ars refused to patronize modern infrastructure like electric-
“virtually amounted to having a new house at a cost pro- ity which they regarded as suitable means of achieving the
hibitive to the average citizen” (Fika, 1978). However, de- target of the missionaries. Therefore, they vehemently re-
spite the unenthusiastic attitude and resistance shown by sisted colonial infrastructure and condemned any Muslim
the people of Kano (Kanawa) toward these amenities, by that patronized them. They expressed their views through
1935, piped water had gradually become more acceptable the writing of books, sermons, lectures, pamphlets and po-
perhaps due to the recognition of their signi􀅫icance to the ets. A good example of this can be found in a poem com-
people. posed by an Islamic scholar, Umaru Wanda translated by
According to the popular narratives, many people were Marvyn Hiskett as “A Warning against Paganism and Innova-
very suspicious of colonial policies and technology that it tion (Bid’a). In the poem, he provides a long list of forbidden
brought about mainly on religious and economic reasons. activities associated with colonialism particularly the tech-
In Kano and indeed in most parts of northern Nigeria colo- nology attached with it: wearing shorts or shirts with collar,
nialism and the technology that it brought about faced with using a walking sticks, soap, wearing a watch or using elec-
severe resistance mostly from the Islam scholars who criti- tric lamps or battery torches….. Even if you pray a thousand
cised the material culture of the colonialism. The Europeans times, the result will still be perdition for those who refuse
during the colonial period were seen as Christians (Nasara) to maintain separation” (Larkin, 2008). Perhaps that was
whose main mission was to Christianize people and exploit why Adas (1989) argues that Africans always resort to su-
the local resources. That was why the people were very perstition and religious belief to explain the situation they
skeptical about the colonial infrastructure like electricity, cannot easily and readily comprehend (Adas, 1989). Ac-
piped water and railway and indeed anything associated cording to him, modern technology always provokes terror
with the colonialists. Some people in the city even specu- and awake. He asserts that no technology unleashed such
lated that piped water was a magic and anybody that drank terror and awe on Africans as the locomotives.
pumped water, would lose his faith; and he would never en- According to Larkin (2008), resistance to colonial infras-
ter paradise in the hereafter. There was a popular saying tructure in northern Nigeria was represented by wonders
that: whoever drinks piped water will certainly loose his (in Hausa, mamaki) and fears (tsoro) and was circulated
faith (in local Hausa language: kowa yasha ruwan pampo, through rumors, published colonial reports and newspaper
yayi fam fam fam da Imani). Because of these believes peo- accounts (Larkin, 2008). Wonder, awe and fear are nor-
ple remained adamant to the use of such water. In order for mally common responses of Africans to the introduction of
the colonial authority to compel people to use the piped wa- new technology as it was the same reactions by the Euro-
ter, most of the popular wells that were the major sources peans and Americans (Nye, 1994). In Kano, earlier authors
of water were destroyed. In addition, as incentive, the colo- have documented the reactions of people to colonial infras-
nial authority even installed water to the private consumers tructure and social facilities like railway, health care ser-
free of charge. vices, education and modern media facilities. For instance,
It is pertinent to emphasize that majority of the people of Yusuf (2015) examines the introduction of railway and how
Kano and most parts of northern Nigeria were/are Mus- people reacted differently to it. He opines that the intro-
lims that were fully aware about the activities of European duction of railway was accompanied by fear and awake at

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2
15 J. adv. humanit. soc. sci. 2019

early stage before people accepted, domesticated and ap- the above brief review. In fact, even in the contemporary
propriated it technology. Wada (2012) discusses the intro- world that is driven by the fastest growing technology, sub-
duction of modern health care services during the colonial lime is a common reaction to new technological invention
period. He notes that most of the people refused to patron- (Bauer, 1995). However, as soon as the technological dis-
ize modern health services at the initial stage of their intro- appeared or at best reduced signi􀅫icantly, many people be-
duction and later they patronized them after some while. gan to patronize both electricity and piped water and they
Larkin (2008) on his part, analyses the advent of modern became important services to them. In fact, by 1935 (Fika,
infrastructure particularly media (radio, television, cinema 1978) both services had gradually become more acceptable
etc.) in northern Nigeria and how they were accompanied to the people. Perhaps that was why as soon as the sublime
by mixed reactions (Larkin, 2008). Fika (1978) documents unleashed, the people of Kano not only accepted the water
the reactions of people of Kano toward modern infrastruc- but even composed a poem in praise of the Europeans for
ture like health care services, education, education, electric- water supply and urged them to extend electricity to their
ity and piped water. Therefore, resistance to new technolo- areas. The poem reads as follows:
gies was not only restricted to electricity as indicated from

Nasara yai abin kirki The Europeans have done an excellent job
Ya ba mu ruwan pampo of providing piped water
Saura mu ga lantarki what is absent is electricity
Ita dinma an kunna even that one has already been installed
Jingino da lantarki to hold the electric poles
Sai Ciroma dansarki is only Chiroma, the prince
Sai kaninsa Faruku (Su􀅫i, 1993) and his brother, Faruku.

The public patronage of water led to the increase in the de- the native contractors strictly voluntary labour has been ad-
mand and number of consumers as revealed in the following equately throughout and no serious trouble or discontent
Table 1. has been occurred (SNP/12004: 24).
However, in reality it was not actually a voluntary labour
TABLE 1. Water and electricity consumption in Kano, 1931-1936
but rather it was more of forced labour. Most of the peo-
(Source: Fika (1978))
ple were reluctant to work under the colonial imperial-
Year Water Consumption Electricity Consumption
ists. During the early period there was labor shortages
(Gallons) by Metered Consumers
(both skilled and unskilled), partly because people were
1931 39500,000 402
not willing to work for the colonialists Therefore, forced
1932 86548, 000 402
1933 122920, 000 816
labour was adopted in order to provide adequate labour
1934 134954, 000 Not available the construction of works. Recruitment was conducted
1935 134948760 948 through the combined efforts of the European Political Of-
1936 137021038 1048 􀅫icers and the local authorities, comprising the traditional
rulers. When labor was required, the European Political Of-
Another important issue related to the provision of infras- 􀅫icers instructed the traditional rulers on the numbers so
tructure like railway, roads, electricity and water was la- required from each district. The local authorities in turn
bor recruitment. Although the expatriates constituted the forced the laborers to go to the construction sites against
skilled labor, the main construction works were performed their will. Many were not paid, and many were underpaid
by indigenous laborers, comprising peasants, slaves, and (Yusuf, 2015).
prisoners that were recruited through force. The colonial The period of the 1930s had witnessed the World Wide
authorities in Kano always claimed that voluntary labor was Great Economic Depression that had enormously affected
adequately supplied for the construction works of the pro- the British policies on the provision of social services like
vision of social services as indicated in the colonial report piped water and electricity in Nigeria and indeed in other
as follows: colonies Watts, 1979 and (Akpen, 2004; Shenton, 1986).
The nature of labour employed during the year has aver- The depression severely affected British economy which
aged about 10,000 men, many of whom have worked under resulted in the suspension of some capital projects while

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2
2019 J. Danladi – A history of the transformation of water . . . . 16

others had their expenditures cut down. In addition, as a supply to the development of Kano. Water supply had con-
coping strategy, The British introduced the policy of "Im- tributed greatly in improving the health of the people espe-
perial preferences", which greatly affected most of the ex- cially by eradicating most of the waterborne diseases that
isting electricity undertakings and even the plan to estab- became prevalence at the eve of the introduction of the wa-
lish new ones. The implication was that, the British colonies ter. It is important reiterate that prior to the introduction
such as Nigeria were force to purchase their required spare of piped water in Kano and indeed most of the other areas
parts and high powered generating sets from British manu- in Africa, there were some common waterborne diseases
facturing industries instead of cheaper generating sets from like cholera, malaria, dysentery, typhoid and schistosomia-
Germany (Siemens Halke), Swiss (Brown Bovery), Amer- sis that led to the death and maiming of many people. These
ica (Corliss Valve engine), Sweden (Allmä nna Svenska Elek- diseases became a serious threat to the survival of the Eu-
triska) and (Ericsson). Others included industries from ropeans in Africa. In particular, malaria was considered as
France, Japan and Italy all produced and exported steam a ‘Whiteman’s grave’. Two eyewitness accounts suggest the
engines. The policy made the purchase of generating sets prevalence of waterborne disease prior to the introduction
by the various Native Authorities very expensive. The of piped water. One of the accounts was provided by a Eu-
monopoly of import and export trade by the British syndi- ropean explorer Robinson (1897), who visited Kano in the
cates and 􀅫irms adversely affected the development of elec- 19th century. He reports:
tricity industry in Nigeria during the 1930s. As result of the According to Dr. Barth, whose testimony was unhappily
depression in some places like Makurdi, the electricity and con􀅫irmed by our own experience, Kano is far from being
water projects were curtailed because of the inadequate the place recommended as a health resort. It height above
fund and more importantly less British interest in provid- the sea, which has according to our calculation, was 1425,
ing the electricity to the areas concerned (Akpen, 2004). out to insure its being free from malaria, which has given
However, despite the effect of depression and the policies so ill a reputation to the low-lying districts along the bed of
introduced as indicated above, the Kano water continued Niger… Its unhealthiness is probably due to the large quan-
without much interruptions. This was perhaps due to the tity of stagnant water to be found within the city. Into one
􀅫inancial strength of the Kano Native Authority and the re- large pool, called Jakera, all the offal and refuse from the
served capital generated from the taxes and other sources. market being constantly through, whilst the drinking water
Consequently, the project was completed in 1930 and com- from the immediate neighborhood. If it is not taken from
missioned in 1931 as already discussed. the pool itself, it is taken from the wells sunk in suspicious
Furthermore, the Second World War (1939-1945) like the proximity to it... The natives suffer from drinking impure
depression of the 1930s also affected water supply in Nige- water, though is a less extent than it might naturally have
ria. During the war normal development of water and elec- been imagined (Robinson, 1897).
tricity projects practically ceased. The government concen- The other account was provided by Malam Mahmudu Koki,
trated its efforts more on maintenance of existing stations. who was born in the 19th century and later worked with the
During the Second World War, apart from the crisis in elec- Europeans. His account reveals that:
tricity supply, most of the existing stations collapse due to I had guinea-worm one when I was a boy. I’ve still got the
the war, which stopped the importation of equipment and scar on my leg and I notice it sometimes when I am wash-
spare parts. Equally, the British found it less expedient to ing... Since we’ve had the pipe water supply, we don’t get
establish new stations. In another direction, despite the in- it here in the City. It used to be caused especially when
troduction and popularity of piped water many people in the men who were deepening the wells. If one of them had
Kano continued to use and in some instances even trans- guinea-worm blister on his leg, and went into the water, the
formed the traditional sources of water. Wells can be found head of the worm would emerge at the feel of the water.
in residential houses and other public spaces. This develop- Then the water would get infected. And then so the Doctor
ment was possibly informed by the fact that adequate water tell us, if you drank that water, you would imbibe the guinea-
supply has been a lingering problem in Kano that hinders worm. That is why, in the olden days, if some people were
economic development. going to drink water, they would cover the mouth of the
gourd with a cloth, and drink through it like this (Skinner,
The Impact of Water Supply in Kano 1977).
Water has been an important agent of development. This However, with the introduction of piped water and improv-
section provides some of the major contributions of water ing the sanitary condition, the prevalence of most of these

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2
17 J. adv. humanit. soc. sci. 2019

diseases during the period of the study were reduced dras- cent was owned by Nigerian entrepreneurs. UNTL was one
tically. In fact, some diseases like small pox were eradicated of the largest textile companies in Nigeria with employment
in Kano and other areas that enjoyed piped water supply. of 8000 workers in 1979. The early manufacturing indus-
Furthermore, water supply have aided industrialization in tries that were established during the colonial during pe-
Kano. Although it can be argued that industrialization in riod laid the foundation for the emergence of more indus-
the colonial territories like Kano was not the major prefer- tries during the post-colonial period.
ence of colonialists. They preferred the production of local Kano during the post-colonial period especially from the
raw materials particularly cotton and groundnut for their 1970s had witnessed rapid growth in the industrialisation
own manufacturing industries and encouraged the import especially in manufacturing sector due to the efforts of gov-
of manufactured goods for the expansion of their economy. ernment of improving the sector by providing necessary in-
That was why some scholars conveniently argued that colo- frastructure and incentives. The expansion of industrialisa-
nialism had led to collapse of local industries in Kano and tion led to the creation of industrial estates. For example,
other colonised territories in order to facilitate their eco- in 1977, two hundred and twenty-nine (229) well-serviced
nomic motive of exploitation. It is imperative to note that industrial plots were designed in Sharada and Challawa in-
Kano has been a leading commercial and industrial centre dustrial zones. Many people from rural areas of Kano and
in Africa many centuries prior to the advent of colonial- other neighbouring states were attracted in order to work
ism. However, despite this development, the provision of in these industries. Therefore, it was estimated that about
infrastructure like electricity during the colonial period to 35,000 workers had been employed in the manufacturing
some extent contributed to the development of industri- alone in 1978 (Lubeck, 1978). This development led to the
alization in Kano particularly toward the end of the colo- rapid growth of residential areas in Kano metropolis and its
nial period. According to Bashir (1983), modern indus- Closed-Settled Zone especially around the major industrial
trialization in Kano did not effectively start until the early zones of Bompai, Challawa and Sharada. These areas en-
1950s. Most of the few existing companies were small pro- joyed considerable electricity supply and other municipal
cessing plants (Bashir, 1983). Some of the early industries services.
established in Kano mostly by Lebanese entrepreneurs in- Development of urbanization is another effect of the pro-
cluded Nigeria Oil Mills, Nigeria Electric Fittings Limited, vision of water in Kano. It was widely believed that Kano
Aluminium Production Nigeria Limited, Moukarim Metal- has been for many centuries before the colonial period
wood Factory Limited, H. W. Romain and Son Limited and has developed what can be considered as city or urban
Yassin Confectionary (Albasu, 1995). structure (Mabogunje, 1968). Being the emporium of the
It was in 1952 the 􀅫irst industry owned by indigenous en- trade of Central Sudan, Kano developed into a cosmopoli-
trepreneurs came into being. This was Kano Citizens Trad- tan city attracting immigrant and migrant traders such as
ing Company (KCTC) was established in Kano by some in- Arabs from Tripoli and Ghadames, Nupe, Kanure, Tueregs
digenous entrepreneurs especially Alhassan Dantata who and Yoruba. Soon therefore, many immigrants and mi-
contributed £10,200 (Bashir, 1983). This laid the founda- grants quarters sprang up around this great market. For
tion for the establishment of other textile mills particularly example, Nupe settled mainly in Tudun Nupawa, Yoruba
immediately after the attainment of independence in 1960. in Unguwar Ayagi, Kanuri settled at Gabari, Zangon Bare-
For instance, Kaduna Textile Mills (KTM) was established Bare and Yandoya, while Bakin Zuwo, Al􀅫indiki, Dukurawa
in 1958, followed by Nigerian Textile Mills (NTM) in 1962 and Dandalin Turawa were predominantly settled by the
in Lagos (Kilby, 1969). The Premier of Northern Region, North African Arabs and other migrants (Naniya, 1983; Per-
Sir Ahmadu Bello introduced some policies aimed at indus- chonock, 1972). Olaniyi (2005) also indicates that the lib-
trial development in the region. As a result, United Nigerian eral state policy of accommodating the interests of the trad-
Textile Limited (UNTL) and Arewa Textiles Limited were ing diaspora communities encouraged the in􀅫lux of traders
established in Kaduna in 1964. UNTL was a joint venture from diverse parts of West and North Africa and they ac-
between some local entrepreneurs and a Chinese Group of commodated into the mainstream of Kano society. The spe-
Companies (Dye Works) with af􀅫iliates in Hong Kong, and cial skills of these immigrants enriched the local technology
many West African countries. Majority of the Chinese in- (Olaniyi, 2005).
vestors were British registered company of ‘Cha’ family of The establishment of British colonial rule in the early 20th
Hong Kong from China (Kilby, 1969). The Chinese investors century especially with the provision of the infrastructural
owned 49 percent of its capital, while the remaining 41 per- services contributed to the rapid urbanisation in the in

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2
2019 J. Danladi – A history of the transformation of water . . . . 18

Kano metropolis. This led to the wave of migration which they often expanded and swallow up other neighboring vil-
consequently made the establishment of new settlements lages and towns that were incorporated into the metropolis
and expansion of many existing ones necessary. For exam- (Frishman, 1977). The growth in population ultimately re-
ple, the rapid in􀅫lux of southern Nigerians and foreigners sulted to the establishment of new settlements around Kano
led to the creation of separate settlements for them out- metropolis to accommodate the people. Some of these ar-
side the main city which led to the introduction of Town- eas include Gwammaja, Sharada, Kundila, Gandun Albasa,
ship policy. Township was an administrative area excluded Sabuwar Gandu, Sabuwar Mandawari, Janbulo, Rijiyar Zaki,
from the jurisdiction of Native Courts and traditional insti- Kurna, Rijiyar Lemo, Badawa, Tudun Wada, Tudun Mur-
tutions. Township in Kano had its root from 1904, when tala, Kwanar Jaba, Yankaba, Hotoro, Tarauni, Mariri and
the British settlement was established in Geiza (later re- Naibawa.
named Bompai). Prior to the Geiza settlement, colonial ad- Provision of infrastructure also provided employment op-
ministrators temporarily settled in the Emir’s summer res- portunities to many people. It is imperative to emphasis
idence at Nassarawa, which was later abandoned. There- that construction and maintenance of infrastructure like
fore in 1904, colonial of􀅫icers moved to Geiza which became piped water, electricity and railway were labour intensive
the 􀅫irst permanent European settlement and served as an that required huge labour force. It is a fact that colonial
administrative centre. In 1911, the arrival of railway led regime used forced labor in which the local peasants were
to the incorporation of other areas occupied by the immi- conscripted to work in the construction of infrastructure.
grants into the Township. As a result in 1915, the Town- Therefore, many people especially energetic youths were
ship was constituted as an administrative enclave under the mobilized for that purpose. These youths used that oppor-
jurisdiction of a British Magistrate who administered the tunity to learn some skills especially in railway, electricity
areas in accordance with the British law (Lugard, 1970). and water projects. After the completion of these projects,
As a result, Sabon Gari settlement that was created ear- many of the people that participated in the construction
lier in 1913 and incorporated into the Township in 1918 were absorbed mostly as unskilled and semi-skilled labor-
(Bako, 2006). It was dominated mostly by southern Nige- ers working under the supervision of expatriate staff. In
rians and other Africans such as Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe, Hausa, addition, with the provision of these facilities many peo-
Ghanians and Chadians. Syrian Quarters was established in ple utalised them to establish their businesses. This led to
1915, cheaply dominated by the Lebanese, Syrians, Arabs the emergence of local artisans that engaged in the instal-
and Greeks. New European residential quarters was built lation and repairs, while other engaged in selling of water
at Nassarawa in 1925, which led to the relocation of colo- installation equipment. In addition, there were many water
nial administrative centre from Bompai. From the above vendors (yan garuwa) mostly immigrants from Niger that
narration it is clear that colonial urbanization in Kano was retailed water to households and public places (Ali, Sanki-
characterized by racial segregation in which people were ran Sarkin Kano, 2018). They sourced water from the water
accommodated according to their ethnic and religious back- public standpipes and distributed to their respective cus-
ground. tomers after paying some amount of money for their ser-
Piped water has been an important utility that symbolized vices.
urbanization. In fact, there is no true urbanization with-
out piped water supply. Since the introduction of electric- CONCLUSION
ity and other social amenities during colonial period, Kano This paper explored the transformation of water supply in
metropolis continued to witness both population growth Kano between 1924 and 1960. Water as a resource is one of
and spatial expansion. According to Frishman (1977), three the most important commodities without which no human,
fundamental factors contributed to the rapid population animal of plant can exist. It has always been an important
growth in Kano. They are: increase in population through basic necessity of life that is why its supply always remained
natural reproduction of the population already residing; the part of daily activities. Prior to the introduction of piped
second is the massive migration of people from both within water in Kano, people sourced water from various sources
and outside Nigeria. People were attracted to Kano because like hand dug wells, streams and rainfall. Piped water was
of its position as a leading commercial and industrial cen- introduced in Kano during the colonial period in the 20th
tre in Africa. The third factor is the annexation of other century. At the early stage of its introduction, many peo-
neighbouring villages and towns. As the urban areas grow ple especially in the ancient City refused to use it, but later
as a result of the natural population growth and migration, they patronized it as indicated in this study. Water supplied

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2
19 J. adv. humanit. soc. sci. 2019

had contributed to the economic and social development of tion, reducing the prevalence of water borne diseases and
Kano. Some of the major impact of the pied water supply in- provision of employment.
cluded the development of industrialization and urbaniza-

REFERENCES
Abdullahi, M. A. (1988). Water resources development in Kano state. Kuru, Nigeria: National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies.
Adas, M. (1989). Machines as the measure of men, science, technology, and ideologies of Western dominance. Ithaca, NY:
Cornell University Press.
Akpen, A. (2004). A history of electricity and water supply in Makurdi: 1927-1983 (Master thesis). Department of History,
Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
Albasu, S. A. (1995). The Lebanese in Kano: An immigrant community in a hausa society in the colonial and post-colonial
periods. Kano, Nigeria: KABS Print Services.
Bako, A. (2006). Sabon Gari Kano: A history of immigrants and inter-group relations in the 20th century. Sokoto, Nigeria:
Usmanu Danfodiyo University Press.
Bashir, I. L. (1983). Politics of industrialization in Kano: Industries, incentives and indigenous entrepreneurs, 1950-1980 (Phd
thesis). Boston University, Boston, MA.
Bauer, M. (1995). Resistance to new technology: Nuclear power, information technology and biotechnology. Cambridge, MA:
Cambridge University Press.
Fika, A. M. (1978). Kano civil war and British over-rule 1882-1940. London, UK: Oxford University Press.
Frishman, A. I. (1977). The spatial growth and residential location pattern of Kano, Nigeria (PhD thesis). Northwestern
University, Evanston, IL.
Kilby, P. (1969). Industrialization in an open economy: Nigeria 1945-1966. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Larkin, B. (2008). Signal and noise: Media, infrastructure and urban culture in Nigeria. Durham, N.C: Duke University Press.
Lubeck, P. M. (1978). Labour in Kano since the petroleum boom. Review of African Political Economy, 5(13), 37-46.
Lugard, F. (1970). Political memoranda: Revision of instructions to political of􀅲icers on subjects chie􀅲ly political and adminis-
trative 1913-1918. London, UK: Frank Cass &Co. Ltd.
Mabogunje, A. (1968). Urbanization in Nigeria. Ibadan, Nigeria: Ibadan University Press.
Manafa, N. A. (1979). Electricity development in Nigeria (1896-1972). Lagos, Nigeria: Raheem Publishers.
Mustafa, A., & Sharifov, M. (2018). Towards improving citizens engagement: A review of parliamentary websites in the 36
state legislatures in Nigeria. Journal of Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(4), 167-174. doi:https://doi.org/
10.20474/jahss-4.4.2
Naniya, T. M. (1983). The historical development of Kurmi market as an institution (Bachelor's thesis). Bayero University,
Kano, Nigeria.
Nye, D. E. (1994). American technological sublime. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Okpala, O. R., Omojuwa, Y., Elenwo, C. G., & Opoko, P. A. (2017). Sustainable urbanization: Investigating problems encoun-
tered in uncontrolled urban growth in Nyanya-A suburb of Abuja, Nigeria. International Journal of Humanities, Arts
and Social Sciences, 3(1), 13-19. doi:https://doi.org/10.20469/ijhss.3.20003-1
Olaniyi, R. (2005). Kano: The development of a trading city in central Sudan. In A. Ogundiran (Ed.), Pre-colonial Nigeria:
Essay in honour of Toyin Falola. Asmara, Eritrea: Africa World Press Inc.
Perchonock, N. (1972). Social studies off the area surrounding Kurmi market. In C. J. Greenhill (Ed.), Kurmi market study.
Kano, Nigeria: Metropolitan Kano Planning and Development Board.
Robinson, C. H. (1897). Hausaland of 􀅲ifteen hundred miles through the central Sudan. London, UK: Sampson Low, Marston
& Company Limited.
Shenton, R. W. (1986). The development of capitalism in Northern Nigeria. London, UK: James Currey.
Skinner, N. (1977). Alhaji Mahmudu Koki, Kano Malam. Zaria, Nigeria: A.B.U. Press.
Su􀅫i, A. H. (1993). Musan kammu. Kano, Nigeria: Mai Nasara Press.
Umar, M. S. (1997). Muslim intellectual responses to British Colonialism in Northern Nigeria (PhD dissertation). Northwestern
University, Evanston, IL.

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2
2019 J. Danladi – A history of the transformation of water . . . . 20

Wada, M. (2012). Kano Native Authority (N.A) and the provision of modern health care services 1903-1967” (PhD thesis).
Department of History, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
Yusuf, S. T. (2015). The socio-economic impact of the railway in Northern Nigeria: a study in transformation of the rural commu-
nities along the rail line between Kano and Zaria, 1908–1970s (PhD thesis). University of Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands.

ISSN: 2414-3111
DOI: 10.20474/jahss-5.1.2