Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf has flagged off the recertification of a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) in Kano to establish an efficient and transparent land management system.
He announced this during the launch of significant reforms in land administration in the state, including the renovation of the Kano State Geographic Information System (KANGIS) and the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning’s administrative block.
He said the flag-off would see to a comprehensive recertification of C-of-O to ensure accurate and secured land records, protect investments, and resolve disputes, urging landowners to comply promptly.
The Governor criticised the previous administration for corruption, mismanagement, and urban planning failures, vowing to restore order through reforms emphasising accountability, innovation, and sustainable development.
Central to the reforms is a state-of-the-art Geographic Information System (GIS) to modernise land management, improve urban planning, enhance taxation, and eliminate revenue leakages.
Earlier reports have shown that the governor also banned inappropriate land allocations and set up a State Task Force on Development Control to address urban development challenges and protect Kano’s cultural heritage.
Governor Yusuf highlighted the complete renovation of KANGIS and the Ministry’s facilities, which are now equipped with modern ICT infrastructure to enhance service delivery. This reflects the administration’s commitment to professionalism, transparency, and development.
For his part, the Commissioner of Land in Kano, Abduljabbar Umar, called on all and sundry in the state to register their ownership interests and individual certificates of ownership and to formally register unapproved residential and commercial structures and informal settlements, which have emerged over the years due to rapid population growth and limited development control.
“This process will render all current titles void after a set period, requiring owners to revalidate their titles in line with the new GIS system. This transformation to digital C-of-O’s will provide numerous benefits, including accurate and reliable records to reduce manipulation and make land ownership easier to verify and update.
“Moving forward, the people of Kano State can expect a Ministry of Land and Physical Planning that is more efficient, customer-focused, and committed to providing timely, transparent services with ongoing enhanced security through certificates that are virtually impossible to forge, protecting property rights and reducing fraud.
“I now call on all landowners to come forward and renew their land titles to benefit from the improved system. The recertification process will ensure that ownership records are accurate and protected from future disputes. I urge everyone to take action promptly, as failure to recertify may result in the revocation of land titles.”
The event also saw the commissioning of the new commissioner’s wing, which was renovated and upgraded to a befitting edifice.
