The Kano State Government has inaugurated an 11-member committee tasked with identifying illegal structures and reviewing building approvals across the Kano metropolitan area as part of efforts to strengthen urban planning and sustainable development.
According to a statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Musa Tanko Muhammad, the committee was inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Umar Farouk-Ibrahim, who described the assignment as critical to the physical, economic, and environmental development of the state.
Farouk-Ibrahim said the state government was concerned about the increasing number of buildings being erected without proper approval, warning that such developments pose social, economic, and environmental risks and could undermine orderly urban growth.
The committee will be chaired by the Director-General of the Kano Geographic Information System, Dr. Dalhatu Aliyu-Sani. Other members include retired Permanent Secretary and former Head of Architecture, Dayyabu Zubairu-Gani; Ahmad Sanusi of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology; retired Surveyor-General Abubakar Usman; Umar Musa of Northwest University Kano; and Muzammil Ibrahim-Yakasai of Freedom Radio, among others.
Officials said the committee’s mandate includes identifying illegal structures in Nasarawa, Tarauni, Kumbotso, and Fagge local government areas, reviewing all building approvals granted within the past year, and recommending measures to halt unauthorized developments and improve compliance with physical planning regulations. The panel is expected to submit its report within four weeks.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Aliyu Sani thanked the state government for the confidence placed in the team and pledged to carry out the assignment with professionalism and commitment.
The move is part of broader efforts by the administration of Abba Kabir Yusuf to enforce urban planning regulations and address concerns over unregulated construction activities in the state.
