By Comrade Abbas Ibrahim
Barely an hour before the Wednesday July 8 night rain finally descended on Kano, I had a conversation with a friend whom I met around the premises of the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
Our discussion centred on the unusual pattern of this year’s rainy season. Since its commencement, Kano had witnessed only fleeting signs of rainfall, dark clouds gathering hopefully, a few scattered drops, and then silence. It was a situation that prompted my friend to remark that what the people needed was ceaseless prayers for ceaseless, beneficial rain.
Yet, as we longed for sustained rainfall in Kano, our hearts were equally burdened by disturbing reports emerging from neighbouring Jigawa State, where heavy rains had reportedly claimed lives and destroyed homes and vast farmlands. The contrast was striking, while one community prayed earnestly for rain, another was already counting the devastating cost of having too much of it.
Then, at about 9:40 p.m., nature announced a dramatic change.
The windows began to bang violently as powerful winds swept through the neighbourhood. Moments later, the long awaited rain poured relentlessly, instantly taking my mind back to the conversation I had just had.
Indeed, Allah alone determines every circumstance according to His infinite wisdom. As He says in the Holy Qur’an, “His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Surah Ya-Sin 36:82).
As the downpour intensified, my excitement gradually gave way to concern. My thoughts were no longer on the joy of receiving rain, but on the floods and other hardships that often accompany such blessings when communities are unprepared. Images of the destruction in Jigawa came flooding into my mind, along with concern for families living in vulnerable homes across Kano.
I found myself praying fervently for Allah’s protection over every household.
Closer to home, my attention shifted to fifty day old chicks I had purchased barely eight days earlier. Their safety suddenly became my immediate responsibility. Only a day before, I had ensured they had adequate ventilation in their shelter. Now, I worried whether they would survive the cold, wind and persistent rainfall. Such are the realities of life, no situation is ever completely perfect.
As I listened to the rain through the night, another thought occupied my mind, VUCA, Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
The concept reminded me of the launch of three books at Badala Hotel, where my colleague from Channels Television Deborah Vincent and her husband, Vincent Hope, hosted a memorable intellectual gathering. During the event, Professor Salisu Barau spoke extensively on managing environmental challenges through the lens of VUCA, explaining how today’s world demands resilience, adaptability and foresight.
The event also produced a lighter but memorable moment when the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Kano State Governor, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, who served as the Chief Launcher, humorously applied the VUCA concept to managing his four wives, drawing laughter and applause from the audience while underscoring the complexity of life’s many responsibilities.
That lesson returned to me as the rain continued to fall through the night.
Unable to enjoy uninterrupted sleep, I eventually woke up shortly after 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, and began writing these reflections while the rain still poured outside.
Rain is surely a blessing from Almighty Allah. It nourishes our crops, replenishes our water sources and sustains life itself. Yet, without proper planning, environmental management, effective drainage systems and responsible human behaviour, the same blessing can become a source of immense hardship.
The recent experiences in Jigawa should serve as a wake-up call, not only to governments at all levels, but also to communities, development partners, environmental experts, emergency agencies and every citizen. We must work together to strengthen flood control measures, protect vulnerable communities, improve drainage systems, discourage indiscriminate waste disposal and intensify public awareness on disaster preparedness.
As human beings, we must take every possible precaution. But ultimately, our greatest reliance remains on Allah, the Controller of the heavens and the earth.
May the Almighty bless us with abundant and beneficial rainfall, protect our lives, preserve our homes and farmlands, and spare our nation from floods and every form of calamity.
Ameen, thumma Ameen.
Comrade Ibrahim writes from Kano and can be reached at abbasibrahim664@gmail.com