The Kano State Government has announced plans to standardise the retail prices of water across the state in a bid to curb the exploitation of residents by private vendors.
This development was disclosed during a meeting between the Commissioner for Water Resources, Umar Doguwa, and members of the Water Truck Owners Association in Kano. Doguwa decried the irregular pricing of water and said the government would no longer tolerate a system where vendors arbitrarily fix rates.
“We have observed that the retail price of water across the state is irregular, with water vendors setting prices at will,” Doguwa said.
“Someone will sell one jerry can in the morning for N100 and then later in the evening sell the same for N200 without any reason. This will have to stop.”
The commissioner said the government intends to introduce a uniform price structure that will apply across the metropolis and beyond.
According to him, the initiative will take into account all key players in the informal water supply chain, including borehole owners, truck drivers, and street vendors.
“We want the system to be dressed up such that the members of the public will not be exploited in any way,” he said. “We shall meet with all stakeholders involved to standardise the rates, and we are giving them a seven-day ultimatum to agree and return to us with pricing recommendations—from wholesale to retail level.”
Doguwa said the policy was part of broader efforts to protect the public and ensure that water, a critical resource, is affordable and accessible to all.
“Water resources belong to the state, and the government cannot look the other way while people suffer in the hands of individuals who take advantage of scarcity,” he added.
Reacting to the government’s proposal, the chairman of the Water Truck Owners Association, Abdussalam Rimingado, welcomed the move and pledged the group’s cooperation.
“I am very happy to hear that the government is taking this step,” Rimingado said. “It pains me, even as the leader of this association, to call on a member to supply water and then hear that prices vary unnecessarily. If this plan succeeds, it will purify our business and move it forward.”
Kano residents, particularly those living in densely populated urban areas, depend largely on private water vendors due to limited access to public water supply. The irregular pricing system has long been a source of concern, especially during periods of high demand.
With this new initiative, the state government says it is committed to ensuring fairness, affordability, and accountability in the water distribution.
