Kano Repositions Urban Planning Institutions To Tackle Rapid Growth, Enforcement Challenges

Kano State government has initiated moves to reposition its urban planning institutions to address challenges associated with rapid population growth, development regulation and enforcement of the state’s physical planning framework.

The commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Umar, disclosed this at a two-day stakeholder engagement workshop on the proposed organisational structures of the Kano State Development Control Agency (KADCA) and the Kano State Metropolitan Management Agency (KAMMA).

The workshop, organised in Abuja, yesterday, was aimed at reviewing and validating the proposed organisational structures and operational frameworks of the two agencies.

Speaking at the workshop, Umar said the laws establishing the agencies were introduced in response to challenges confronting the state, particularly in the regulation and enforcement of its master plan.

He said, “Laws of the agencies were sort of brought in place as a result of challenges and issues that the state was facing in terms of regulation of the master plan, but most importantly, enforcement of the master plan.”

According to him, the availability of a new master plan would provide the agencies with a clear reference point for planning, regulation and enforcement.

“Thankfully, the state has now a brand new master plan to serve as a reference point for the two new agencies, both in terms of a guide and in terms of enforcement,” he said.

The commissioner expressed optimism that the stakeholder engagement would produce a comprehensive blueprint capable of guiding the future development of Kano State.

He said the exercise had brought together personnel of the Kano State Government and technical resource persons to develop a framework that would support effective urban management.

“We are hopeful that by the end of this two-day exercise, this great team, made up of both the Kano State Government personnel and the resource persons, will come up with the best blueprint that will guide Kano State, inshallah, to take its rightful position in terms of general development,” Umar said.

The proposed framework is based on the Kano State Physical Planning and Development Control Law, 2026, which provides for KADCA and KAMMA as separate but complementary institutions.

Under the proposed arrangement, KAMMA would be responsible primarily for development permissions and urban management functions, while KADCA would focus on development control, compliance and enforcement of approved plans and conditions attached to development permissions.

The organisational proposal prepared by Circle Design Limited outlines the governance structures, departments, functions and operational responsibilities of the two agencies.

The framework also identifies streamlined decision-making, enhanced accountability, improved revenue generation and stronger stakeholder collaboration as some of the expected outcomes.

The stakeholder engagement is bringing together government personnel and professional resource persons to examine the proposed structures, identify possible gaps and overlaps, and make technical recommendations.

The two-day exercise is expected to end with the review and validation of the amended organisational and operational structures of KADCA and KAMMA, followed by the presentation of a workshop communiqué.