The flood incidents recorded in the textile market followed the blockage of the 'Kwarin Gogau'
One clammy morning in the first week of September, Aliyu Isah's phone rang suddenly. It was a distress telephone call from the night guard at the Kantin Kwari textile market in Kano. Like other textile merchants in the market, Mr Isah had left the market leaving everything in its right condition the previous evening. But the news from the other end of the call was as shocking as it was disheartening: Mr Isah's textile shop had been taken over by flood.
"I tried to relax, listening to him (the guard)," Mr Isah recalled in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES.
"I and other colleagues (later) rushed to the market following the calls thinking we could help prevent the water but the damage had been done. As I arrived at the market, I was confused without knowing where to enter the market because of the overflow of the water reaching where we never thought it will reach because of the nature of the buildings. After I maneuvered (my way) into the market, (I realized that) it was a terrible experience."
The flooding incident in Kano textile market began in August following torrential rainfall that swept off shops at Kantin Kwari, widely considered the largest textile market in West Africa. The shop structure at the market is designed in variegated sections with each section containing several shops. Mr Isah said the affected section housing his shop includes Sa'idu Dankoli House, Nababa Badamasi house, Shehu Na-Kwarai house, Dahiru Mangal house and 'Gidan Gareje'. Multiple traders told PREMIUM TIMES that when the flood water came, it disrupted the businesses and many traders incurred losses.
"I was assigned by a committee inaugurated to assist the victims of the flood to identify traders affected by the flooding in my surroundings and I have so far listed over 30 shops which the flood has affected, with many losing materials worth hundreds of millions of naira," Mr Isah explained.
"In my shop, I lost wrappers worth over N4 million and we are quite many in this building. After the incident, a wrapper costing N4000 was sold as N1700 and the other is completely damaged and cannot be sold."
Multiple traders at the textile market said the flooding also disrupted their sales and impacted negatively on their annual income as activities in the market ran intermittently after the flooding.
Flood in Kano
Earlier in the year, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Nimet) warned of imminent flood incidents in some states of the federation, including Kano. The agency said its warning was based on the rainfall distribution and amounts recorded in the country during the rainy season. The Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said the aftermath of the excessive rain resulted in floods in 25 local government areas. The agency said an assessment conducted in the Kantin Kwari textile market revealed that 547 shops and stalls were affected, resulting in the loss of properties and materials worth over N2.5 billion.
The spokesperson of the organisation, Ahmad Isah, told PREMIUM TIMES that the flood in the textile market followed the saturation of the 'Kwarin Gogau' water canal after torrential rainfall, adding that the canal was blocked by waste materials. According to the official, following the warning by the meteorologists, the SEMA in Kano inaugurated a committee that embarked on public enlightenment to educate the people on the dangers of flooding.
Mr Isah said the committee worked on preventive measures towards the disaster, especially at the metropolitan area where Kantin Kwari Textile Market is located. They also urged residents to clean their water routes but people were reluctant to heed the advice.
Tanko Danbaba, one of the Managing Directors of Madatai General Enterprise, also located in the textile market, said he lost clothing materials worth over N50 million to the flooding incident. Mr Danbaba blamed the flooding on officials granting permits for the construction of illegal buildings in already congested markets.
"After the flooding, we have to evacuate all wrappers from the mall and the ones in the store to sort out the damages. We took them to dry but, unfortunately, some people without empathy also stole many of the clothes while we were drying them at home and other various places," he said.
Mr Danbaba said after the flooding, they met with the Kano state government on how to prevent future occurrences of the incident.
He said: "I am part of the committee that met the state's deputy governor, Nasiru Gawuna, and we complained that many buildings have blocked the waterways and footpaths in the market. We also demanded that such buildings should be demolished and the government's swift response is commendable.
"The government demolished illegal shops a few days after the assessment, and some of the buildings blocked emergency paths in case of a fire emergency. Those buildings were illegally constructed by some self-centred individuals; those people are always after their gain. We urged the government whenever they are deciding on the market to consult people with knowledge of the market."
More Victims
Another victim, Islama'il Dangado, said he came to the market the morning after the flood with the thought of sympathizing with other traders because he felt the foundation of his shop was quite high. However, Mr Dangado was shocked after he reached the market and found that the flood affected his shop and damaged his wares.
"As I opened the shop, the level of damage was devastating," he recounted.
"Almost, 1,200 pieces of the wrapper were affected and it's worth over N5 million. The flooding has disrupted market days for about a month, and we have to redesign the interior of the shop to include other protective materials.
"We have also lost patronage in the immediate aftermath of the flooding, and if I am asked to advise the government on the way forward for the flooding, I will say they should continue with the demolition of buildings on the waterways."
On his part, the Managing Director of the Kantin Kwari Market, Muhammad Bello, said following the devastating effects of the flooding in the market, the government responded to their request for the demolition of shops built on the Kwarin Gogau canal.
"The government has done the needful in quick response to the disaster. The government has demolished shops on waterways as requested by the elder's committee of the market, which demanded the demolition of structures built illegally. The government immediately obliged," Mr Bello said.
The official added that most of the demolished buildings were constructed 30 years ago and as development continues to take effect, the buildings became a source of problem in the market causing flooding and resulting in the loss of billions of naira and properties.
Mr Bello commended the Nigerian government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the state government, and other individuals for the support rendered to the victims of the floods.
'Karin Gogau' Effect
A major feature of the Kantin Kwari Market is the 'Kwarin Gogau' water canal built from unity road in Fagge Local Government Area, traversing Wase Dam in the Minjibir Local Government Area of the state.
The canal was initially an open water space surrounded by a green environment, but it was later rebuilt and desilted by the government to absorb ground wastewater and rainwater from various locations in the Kano metropolis (including the historic Jakara stream). According to Anas Muhammad, whose house was built close to the canal at Layin Bola (Bola street) in the Fagge council area, the waste is expected to be passed into the Wase Dam.
67-year-old Mr Muhammad however told PREMIUM TIMES that the water canal has been a source of environmental disaster for residents of the Fagge area whenever it overflows.
"In 1977, the overflow of the Kwarin Gogau canal flattened many houses including ours. Since the canal was built, it has not received adequate attention from the succeeding administrations up to this moment," Mr Muhammad lamented. This year, he said the canal overflowed into houses, destroyed properties and caused panic among residents.
Mr Muhammad said during the administration of former governor Ibrahim Shekarau, the overflow of the canal killed four people after some buildings collapsed at Dabinai, Kampala and Kabobo streets in the Fagge council area.
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"The water canal which was surrounded by plantations was later overwhelmed by buildings following the construction of IBB road," he said.
"More than half of the depth of the water canal has been saturated with human waste. The erection of shops at IBB Way forced residents of Fagge area to use the water canal as an alternative for waste disposal, which I believe is the major reason why the Kantin Kwari textile market and Fagge area are experiencing flooding."
Mr Muhammad said the government can provide an alternative to the flooding by desilting the water canal, stopping people from building close to the canal, and providing a space for the deposition of waste for residents of Fagge area.
Government Reacts
The state's Commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba, said the government has ordered the immediate marking and demolishing of all existing structures built on the water canal. He said the government also marked for demolition the drainage lines within Kantin Kwari Market to remove all obstacles that hinder the smooth flow of wastewater in the area.
Mr Garba said the decision to demolish the structures followed a report of Rapid Assessment of Flooding at the Kantin Kwari Market that was conducted by the Commissioners of Works and Infrastructure, Idris Saleh, as well as his counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Kabiru Getso.
The official said the government also directed that all temporary structures mounted on top of drainage within and around the market be removed, adding that the governor also approved the desilting of the water canal and evacuation of all blocked drainage within the market and its surrounding.
Multiple traders who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES urged the government to ensure that the necessary flood control infrastructure is put in place to avert future losses within the textile market.
***This reporting was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development and the Centre for Investigative Journalism's Open Climate Reporting Initiative.
