Four Women Allegedly Gave Birth Inside Tricycles as Abandoned Kano Road Project Deepens Residents’ Suffering
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
Democracy Newsline
Northern Bureau Chief
July 9, 2026.
KANO – Residents of several communities along the Yandodo–Mai-Allo–Oromi–Mariri road corridor in Kano State have appealed to the state government to urgently resume construction of the road, warning that the prolonged delay has continued to expose thousands of people to hardship, economic losses, and life-threatening emergencies.
The affected communities, which include Yandodo, Mai-Allo, Oromi, Mariri, Yargana, and Tsamiya Babba, spread across Nassarawa, Kumbotso, and Gezawa Local Government Areas. Residents say the deteriorating condition of the road has made transportation increasingly difficult, particularly during the rainy season when flooding renders large sections of the route impassable.
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Community members recalled that the Kano State Government awarded the road construction contract in October 2025 and erected a project signboard at the site, raising hopes that the long-neglected road would finally be reconstructed. However, they expressed disappointment that, months later, full-scale construction work has yet to commence.
According to residents, the road has become riddled with deep potholes, severe erosion, and flood-prone sections, making it one of the most challenging routes for motorists and commercial transport operators. They argue that the poor state of the road has slowed commercial activities, disrupted access to schools and healthcare facilities, and increased transportation costs for farmers, traders, students, and civil servants.
The human cost of the neglected road has become even more alarming, especially for pregnant women requiring emergency medical attention.
Speaking to Global Tracker, commercial tricycle (popularly known as Keke Napep) operator Adamu Alhassan alleged that four pregnant women delivered their babies inside his tricycle on separate occasions because they could not reach hospitals in time due to the terrible condition of the road.
He explained that whenever a woman went into active labour while travelling and it became impossible to continue because of the rough terrain, he would stop at a safe location to shield and assist her until childbirth was completed before transporting both mother and newborn to the nearest hospital for medical examination and postnatal care.
“The road has become so bad that sometimes every minute counts. We try our best to save lives, but the condition of the road makes emergency transportation extremely difficult,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Tricycle Operators in the area, Hussaini Sa’idu, said the deteriorating road has compounded the suffering of residents, particularly pregnant women, children, the elderly, and critically ill patients who often require urgent access to healthcare facilities.
He noted that during periods of heavy rainfall, floodwaters frequently submerge sections of the road for several hours, cutting off movement between communities. As a result, residents are often unable to reach hospitals, markets, schools, or places of work.
“The situation becomes worse during the rainy season. Vehicles are trapped for hours, commercial activities come to a standstill, and people are forced to wait until the flood recedes before continuing their journey,” Sa’idu explained.
Residents also warned that the continued abandonment of the project threatens the socio-economic development of the affected communities. Farmers reportedly struggle to transport agricultural produce to urban markets, traders incur higher transportation costs, while students and workers endure lengthy delays and dangerous journeys every day.
Community leaders appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration to direct the contractor handling the project to return to the site without further delay and complete the road as promised.
They argued that reconstructing the Yandodo–Mai-Allo–Oromi–Mariri road would not only improve transportation but would also enhance access to healthcare, reduce maternal and infant emergencies, stimulate economic activities, and improve the overall quality of life for thousands of residents living along the corridor.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the Kano State Government had not publicly responded to the residents’ concerns regarding the delay in the execution of the road project.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JULY 9TH 2026)
