Emerging details from sources familiar with water supply operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have linked the ongoing water scarcity across Abuja to controversial management decisions under the FCT Administration led by Minister Nyesom Wike.
According to insiders, a significant portion of the water intended for FCT residents was allegedly diverted to serve Jordan Farms, a sprawling agricultural facility reportedly owned by the Minister in the Ushafa area. The farm, named after Wike’s eldest son, has reportedly been prioritized at the expense of the wider city’s needs.
The 70 Per Cent Diversion Claim
A source within the water management sector claimed that up to 70 per cent of the supply from the Lower Usuma Dam is being funneled to the private facility. The remaining fraction is distributed across the capital, allegedly based on a calculation that residents—already accustomed to private boreholes—would not mobilize in protest.
“He diverted 70 per cent of the FCT’s water to his mega-farm and resort near Ushafa,” the source alleged. “The assumption was that since Abuja residents rely on boreholes anyway, the shortage would go unnoticed.”
Power Failure and Administrative Delays
Beyond the alleged diversion, SaharaReporters gathered that critical water treatment and distribution infrastructure were crippled by a preventable power crisis. Investigations revealed that approvals for diesel procurement—valued at approximately ₦150 million—were stalled because the Minister was away from the office.
The delay reportedly coincided with the Minister’s focus on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State involving Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“There was no diesel and no supply from the national grid. Wike was not available to approve the ₦150 million needed for fuel,” a source stated. “By the time he returned and granted approval, the system had already suffered a total shutdown. The pipelines supplying both the city and his private farm had completely dried up.”
Eyewitness Accounts from Ushafa
While a SaharaReporters correspondent was denied entry to the farm, residents in the neighboring Ushafa community shared starkly different experiences regarding water access.
“The farm carries out intensive irrigation and draws its water directly from the Usuma Dam,” one resident noted. “It is ironic because nearly 90 per cent of houses in Ushafa, which sits right beside the dam, have no water. Yet this farm, which only recently began operations, receives a regular supply.”
FCTA Denies Allegations
Responding to the claims, Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the FCT Minister, dismissed the allegations as baseless.
“If water were truly being diverted, there would be visible pipelines or physical connections for everyone to see,” Olayinka stated. He further challenged the claims of a city-wide crisis, adding, “I live in Abuja and I used water this morning. If there was a diversion of that magnitude, the evidence would be undeniable.”
The Debt Factor
The crisis, which has worsened throughout January 2026, was further compounded when the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) disconnected power to the FCT Water Board over debts spanning more than 12 months.
Although power was temporarily restored on January 18 following public outcry, AEDC’s Acting Managing Director, Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye, warned that the reconnection is conditional. The Water Board has been given a two-week window to present a credible repayment plan or face a second disconnection, which would once again plunge the capital into a severe water drought.
