Scientific analysis reveals excessive ammonia in Kano drainages, river

Constant complaints from residents living near the Kano Industrial areas in northern Nigeria about incessant smells polluting the atmosphere prompted The Colonist Report Africa to investigate the source of the pollution. After nine months of investigation into the tanny industries in Kano, using scientific analysis of water samples collected directly from three communities, it was […]

Constant complaints from residents living near the Kano Industrial areas in northern Nigeria about incessant smells polluting the atmosphere prompted The Colonist Report Africa to investigate the source of the pollution. After nine months of investigation into the tanny industries in Kano, using scientific analysis of water samples collected directly from three communities, it was confirmed that excessive smells are emanating from the Saharada community due to the presence of high ammonium, where Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd., a company connected to a British company, discharges its waste into the drainages that connects the community river.

 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines ammonium as an air pollutant that can affect humans, the environment and kill aquatic life— is derived from waste, fertilisers, and natural processes. It can enter the aquatic environment via nitrogen fixation, atmospheric deposition, and agricultural runoff.

A visit to Sharada, Bompai, and Challawa, three industrial areas in Kano metropolis, a cosmopolitan area with a large population shows the areas have community rivers that receive wastewater from nearby industries. Of the water samples taken from three community drainages and a river for scientific analysis at the University of Port Harcourt laboratory, only the Sahara area had a high level of ammonium (11.8 mg/L).

 

Connection with the British company

The Colonist Report Africa discovered that several smaller tanneries in the area have closed down, but Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd. remains the largest. All the sources spoken with identified this company as the main cause of the pollution in Sharada.

• Modi in Ukraine: How India signals a shift in global diplomacy beyond the West
• Inside story of displaced persons of Niger State

Further investigation on the Leather Working Group website, a UK-registered non-profit that connects leather companies, revealed a link between Unique Leather Finishing Company in Kano and Guy Margossian, the director of the UK-registered Premier Leather Ltd. On the Leather Working Group website, Guy Margossian is listed as the contact person with an official email linked to Premier Leather Ltd. The address provided for him is the same as the location of Unique Leather Finishing Company in Kano.

Premier Leather Ltd. confirmation statement, updated on April 24, 2024, showed that the main shareholders are Neil Margossian and Guy Margossian, each holding 500 ordinary A shares. Mylene Margossian is also a shareholder, with 250 ordinary B shares.

As persons with significant control, Guy Margossian and Neil Margossian, are both listed as having more than 25%, but not more than 50% ownership. In the two years to 2022, the shareholders of Premier Leather received GB£1m in dividend income.

While it is unclear how much profit Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd. has made from its Kano operations, Premier Leather Ltd’s three-year financial statement, obtained by The Colonist Report, shows that the company made a profit of £213,769 at the end of December 2023, 349,612 in 2022, and £191,052 in 2021.

The Colonist Report contacted Guy Margossian to ask about the connection between him and Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd. In an email, Margossian said: “I work for Premier Leather Ltd and Premier Leather are sales agents to Unique Leather. There is no other connection,” he said and continued: “Premier Leather made the initial contact for Unique Leather when registering with the Leather Working Group and left my name as a UK contact.”

 

The Tanny and pollution

Kano State in Northern Nigeria serves as a prominent commercial and industrial center, notably recognised for its concentration of tannery industries. The state is divided into three distinct industrial areas as outlined in the Industrial Town Plan: Bompai Industrial Area, Sharada Industrial Area, and Challawa Industrial Area.

On January 18, 2024, when The Colonist Report Africa visited Sharada industrial areas—a busy and bubbling area, there was the smell of unpleasant odour, which one would imagine whether a human had died and had been left on a nearby street for months.

As directed by the town plan under the jurisdiction of the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA), residential occupation within industrial estates is strictly prohibited. The rising population in Kano presents significant challenges in upholding this regulation, particularly in the Bompai and Sharada industrial estates, where urban residents have gradually encroached onto the prohibited areas.

Wastewater discharge by the tanny companies is linked to several communities. The Sharada Industrial Effluents linked to rivers, such as Gidan Maza, Sharada, Tukuntawa, Ja’en, Medile, and Shagari Quarters are directly affected by the pollution from the Sharada Industrial Effluents.

The Colonist Report investigation discovered that all industries in the Sharada estate discharge wastewater flow into the Gidan Maza, which is the immediate community of the Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd.

 

Sharada residents complain

Magaji Aliyu, commonly known as Mabo, represents the Gandun Albasa Village Head in the Gidan Maza Community of Sharada. He told The Colonist Report Africa that the unpleasant odour from industrial wastewater discharged into the community waterways is damaging local buildings. He said that the buildings ‘‘continue to crack.’’

Aliyu alleged that the wastewater discharged into the community river isn’t treated before it’s released. He said that the chemicals used by the industries are causing the walls of houses in the area to crack, which is ultimately affecting the land.

When the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation started a project to recycle industrial wastewater in 2023, residents were happy. However, Aliyu said the project has been going on for a long time and “seems abandoned.” He added that if the water treatment is finished, it will be helpful to the community.

“This pollution is seriously affecting our lives; our walls are cracking. There are many industries but Unique Leather constitutes the largest company,” he said.

Salisu Gambo, also known as Ditol, the Kano Coordinator for Youth Mobilisation Via Media, an NGO based in Sharada, led a protest during the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration demanding immediate action to reduce the unpleasant odor in the environment.

According to him, following the protest where community members met with industry leaders in the area, the Kano State government and the then Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda, tried to find a lasting solution to the air pollution in Sharada and nearby areas. He, however, added that their efforts have been unsuccessful.

During the meeting, Gambo claimed that the then governor instructed the industries to create reservoirs for recycling their wastewater before releasing it into public drainage systems. “There has been a lack of action by the industries in implementing these directives, causing harm to the residents,” he claims.

“Foul odours resulting from the pollution have led to health issues such as stomach swelling, pain, and diseases like cholera and many other issues,” Gambo claims.

The air pollution and foul smells emanating from the BOMPAI industrial areas have made it difficult for locals and traders to breathe clean air, The Colonist Report Africa observed during a visit to the area.

The drainage system at a prominent roundabout connecting Murtala Muhammed Way, Sani Marshal Road (formerly known as Club Road), and Bompai Road had a strong, unpleasant odour as at January 18, 2024.

Yusuf Ahmed, a petty trader at Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi Market who lives in Dakata, told The Colonist Report that he takes a longer route to get to his shops and always covers his nose when approaching the Murtala Muhammad Way Roundabout due to the unpleasant odour that has lasted for several months.

“The immense odour worries me,” Ahmed said. “This odour has lasted for a long time. I call on the government to assist in bringing an end to this thing because it affects our health.”

 

Unending pollution

Challawa Industrial Area is approximately a 35-minute drive from Kano metropolis and it is another area suffering from air pollution alleged to have been caused by multiple industries, particularly the tanneries. The notable tanning companies in the area are; Mahaza Company, Mario, Fata Tanning Limited, GB Tannery, among others.

Waste water from industrial activities in the Challawa Industrial Area is channelled into the communities’ rivers and several residents, The Colonist Report spoke with—the majority of whom are farmers, complained that the water released has destroyed their farms, water, and caused air pollution.

When The Colonist Report Africa visited the Challawa village, the smell was so strong that our reporter, who fell into the community river, had to throw away his socks because the unpleasant odour lingered for days, even after washing them.

Jazuli Adamu, a farmer and a resident of the Dandako community, uses the river water for irrigation for his sugarcane. He told The Colonist Report Africa that the suspected chemicals used by the industries have rendered the soil infertile, making his sugarcane crops to be salty and “no longer sweet.”

Adamu claims that the polluted water that entered the community river is the source of cholera and other illnesses among residents.

Adamu said: “We rely on this water for irrigation farming. The sugarcane is not sweet. It is salty. We are having cases of cholera and some diseases. Even you, as you are here now, you don’t need to be told that the place is dangerous for a living considering the odour of this place and the water,” he said while pointing around the community areas.

 

Water Analysis Results

The three water samples taken from river and drainages in Sharada, Bompai, and Challawa are all cloudy. The Sharada water result showed 1240.54mg/l in turbidity, Bompai had 390.09 and Challawa had 564.56mg/l.

All test results showed that the water samples contained bacteria, with Challawa having the most, followed by Bompai, and then Sharada.

Ammonium was found in water samples from three community rivers. Sharada industrial areas have the highest level of ammonium (11.8mg/l), while Bompai industrial estate effluent had 0.20 mg/l. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a maximum of 0.5mg.l of ammonium in drinking water. According to the WHO, the presence of ammonium in water can indicate contamination from sewage or organic matter, as well as contribute to the formation of nitrite and nitrate, both of which have serious health consequences.

Several studies have found that excessive ammonium can be toxic, causing stress, impaired growth, and even death. For plants, high ammonium concentrations can disrupt nutrient balance and stunt plant growth, particularly in aquatic environments.

The test results showed that copper levels in Saharada exceeded the recommended 0.2mg/l by 1.297mg/l, while Bompai had 1.047 and Challawa effluent had 0.571. Copper is an essential micronutrient for plants, but excessive amounts can be toxic, affecting root growth, nutrient uptake, and overall plant health, according to Japhet Onwuegbu, the laboratory scientist who analysed the water samples at the University of Port Harcourt’s plant anatomy and physiology research laboratory.

The Colonist Report Africa’s findings also show that complaints about local sugarcane becoming unsweet are caused not only by high ammonium and copper levels but also by high conductivity in the river water used for irrigation. The test results revealed that the conductivity of all the water is extremely high. Shararada’s water sample contained 8750 mg/l, Bompai had 3392 mg/l, and Challawa had 13030 mg/l. Onwuegbu, the laboratory scientist, said the test results indicate that the water has a high salt content and excess conductivity, which can prevent plants from absorbing water.

 

Environment ministry comments

Muhammad Adamu Takai, Director of Pollution Control at the Kano State Ministry of Environment, told The Colonist Report Africa that the federal government, through its ecological projects, is collaborating with the Kano State Government to provide water treatment plants in Bompai, Sharada, and Challawa. He said the projects are currently underway, and construction near industrial zones violates the Kano State Master Plan.

Takai fumed that residents were complaining of pollution while violating the law: “They don’t have the right to complain because they constructed buildings without government approval. Ask them to give you approvals for such building. Construction around industrial areas is a clear violation of the Kano Masterplan which prohibits building around industrial areas,” he said.

When told about findings that the ecological projects in Bompai, Sharada, and Challawa had been abandoned, Takai refuted the claims. “It is not true that the project has been abandoned, “ he said. “The contractors are back to their site.”

However, when The Colonist Report Africa returned on January 20 and 21, 2024 to verify his claims, only materials such as sand and granite stones, with no workers were present. Similarly, follow-up visits to the Challawa site on January 20 and 23, 2024, to confirm the claims that the ecological projects for water treatment were ongoing revealed only a security guard who refused to provide information about the project.

Furthermore, on January 20 and 23, 2024, during a follow-up visit to the Sharada site, materials such as sand and granite stones were observed, but no workers were present.

However, on August 31, The Colonist Report Africa returned to the industrial waste treatment plant project site in the Sharada industrial area and noticed that some construction workers had resumed work.

 

NESREA statement

Lukman Lawal, the Coordinator of the Kano Field Office for the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), a government agency tasked with the responsibility of enforcing all environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards, and regulations across the country, said the agency had conducted several awareness campaigns addressing environmental pollution concerns in industrial areas such as Bompai, Sharada, and Challawa.

In accordance with section 33 of the National Environmental Regulations, Lawal said NESREA had taken action by shutting down numerous industries in Kano State, including establishments like GB Tannery in Challawa and God’s Little Tannery, for violating environmental pollution laws.

He emphasised the importance of public vigilance towards environmental issues and encouraged individuals to report any suspicious incidents of environmental pollution. “I call on individuals to report any suspicious incidents of environmental pollution. We don’t take it lightly on any organisation found violating our law.”

 

Companies response

The Colonist Report Africa put its findings to Unique Leather Finishing company Ltd. about the pollution which locals accused the company of and findings from water analysis but the company denied polluting the environment and said the claims “are false.”

In a response to The Colonist Report Africa email sent on June 28, 2024, Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd. said: “We have a fully functional effluent treated plant (ETP) which has 24/7 operators and is being fully maintained. This ETP is also being monitored by state and federal agencies like the Kano State Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Environment and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

“We have a good relationship with our neighbours and are in frequent dialogue with them.  We find the allegations to be both inaccurate and unfounded.”

On July 1, 2024, The Colonist Report Africa further asked the company to provide evidence of a functional effluent-treated plant, and any substantive evidence that shows that the Kano State Ministry of Environment, NESREA and the Federal Ministry of Environment monitored and found the activities free from pollution, and to ascertain the last time these agencies checked the company’s environmental compliances.

The company on July 2, responded by sending four documents, of which one was a permit given by NESREA to conduct an air quality test and another was NESREA’s approval of an audit report done by the company. Finally, the other document was a permit from NESREA for the company to manage waste and toxic substances. Additional photos sent include a photo of an aerial view of the plant.

“We have our ETP fully staffed, which includes our own lab technicians who take daily samples to verify out ETP’s operation. Federal Ministry of Environment and NESREA both conduct surprise inspections where they take water samples from our discharge for their own testing,” Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd said.

The company, however, added that it will not respond to further enquiries, saying it had provided evidence that showed the residents and test claims were false.

This media organisation’s efforts to engage with Mahaza Company, the principal tannery industry in Challawa, were fruitless. Upon travelling to Challawa on January 20 and 23, 2024, security personnel at the gate indicated that the designated contact person was unavailable.

Based on the new findings and claims of Unique Leather Finishing Company Ltd, The Colonist Report Africa made further attempts to get the reactions of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) but Lukman Lawal, the Coordinator of the Kano Field of the government agency did not respond to messages sent to him.

Lawal had been asked whether the agency had visited Unique Leather Finishing Company to monitor its activities on environmental compliance, but he was yet to respond at the time this piece went to press.

 

Impact and solution

Air pollution adversely affects the health of individuals living near sources of emissions, said Dr. Mustapha Yunusa, Head of the Public Health Department at the Kano State School of Hygiene

Yunusa told The Colonist Report Africa that “controlling of air pollution is challenging as pollutants are released directly into the air, affecting human lungs and resulting in conditions like asthma and bronchitis.”

He said: “Discharge of effluents can contaminate well water, posing health risks like cancer and causing deformities in various body parts.”

According to him, “pollutants from the air deposited on plant leaves hinder chlorophyll absorption, affecting plant health, and also damage house and vehicle paints due to their corrosive nature, leading to high replacement costs.”

Regarding water pollution from tannery industries, Dr. Yunusa said “Direct discharge of effluents into water bodies, like the Challawa River, poses severe risks, harming aquatic life and vegetation. Certain fatalities may be associated with the water sourced from streams and wells.”

Yunusa emphasised that every company has to establish a primary treatment plant to ensure safe water discharge into public water bodies, safeguarding human health and the environment.

 

This Colonist Report Africa works with UK’s follow the money organisation to analyse the company’s financial statement. This investigation was produced in partnership with The Colonist Report UK and Africa.