Residents of communities along the Airport Road corridor in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised alarm over persistent lack of access to potable water, describing the situation as a daily struggle.
Communities including Lugbe, Aco Estate, Goza, and Sauka say taps have remained dry for months, forcing households to depend on costly water vendors and unreliable boreholes while awaiting intervention from the FCT Water Board.
In Lugbe, one of the worst-hit areas, residents say they feel abandoned despite ongoing water projects across the capital.
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Mrs. Grace Adebayo, a resident of Aco Estate, said her family now spends thousands of naira weekly on water.
"We are suffering in silence. The government keeps commissioning projects on television, but nothing is reaching us here," she said.
A youth leader in Goza, who spoke anonymously, warned that the crisis is fueling water-borne diseases.
"Our children are falling sick because we rely on shallow wells," he said.
Another resident, Olugbenga Ajayi, decried failed borehole projects in the area. "Landlords keep digging boreholes without success. It's a waste of money. We are suffering and need government help," he said.
In Sauka, residents expressed frustration that despite water pipelines running through their community, supply has yet to be extended to their homes.
The residents are calling on the FCT Water Board to urgently expand water distribution to the Airport Road axis, noting that reliance on private vendors is unsustainable.
"We pay taxes and deserve basic amenities like those in the city centre," a Lugbe resident said.
Their plight contrasts with recent high-profile water projects by the FCT Administration. In June 2025, President Bola Tinubu commissioned the $470 million Greater Abuja Water Supply Project, facilitated by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who has repeatedly pledged to end water scarcity.
The administration also flagged off the rehabilitation of the Phase II Water Treatment Plant at Lower Usman Dam and the N90 billion Bwari Township Water Supply Project, aimed at improving water access across the territory.
While authorities recently attributed citywide shortages to a damaged pipeline caused by a private developer, residents along Airport Road insist their communities have long been neglected.
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They warned that without urgent intervention, the worsening water crisis could further threaten public health and livelihoods.
Efforts to get a response from the FCT Water Board were unsuccessful, as its spokesperson declined to comment on the situation.
