The government of Kano State has published a 60-day notice for the extension of the ongoing recertification of Certificates of Occupancy (CofO) in the state. The government also threatened landowners who fail to comply with the new time frame with loss of their titles to land as per the prevailing land laws. Mohammed Umar Abduljabbar, the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, made this announcement during a press briefing on Tuesday at the ministry’s headquarters in Kano.
He added the recent extension follows the expiration of the earlier April 1, 2025 deadline, which was shifted from January 24 to enable residents to enjoy the Eid holiday and have extra time. Umar also added that despite the extensions, there was still low turnout of property owners for the exercise.
“Since the commissioning of this project by His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, on November 25, 2024, we have so far captured 241,025 properties in the six major metropolitan local government areas Nassarawa, Fagge, Tarauni, Dala, Kano Municipal, and Gwale,” Umar disclosed.
He referred to the repetitive practice of surveying the land as critical to developing a believable land database, which would serve to underpin government planning, revenue generation, and infrastructure development.
“This enables us to know who owns what, how the land is being used, and where the infrastructure gaps are,” he explained.
To ensure compliance, the commissioner threatened to publish names of defaulting landowners in national dailies and on notice boards at major government offices like the Kano State Library, Audu Bako Secretariat, Gidan Murtala, and the State High Court.
Umar went on to clarify that the Kano Geographic Information System (KANGIS) would continue to offer support via web portals, helplines, and service centers to enable applicants to process recertification with ease.
He went on to disclose that the ministry was ready to introduce Sectional Titling in the state, a scheme aimed at streamlining documentation for plots of land found in estates, plazas, flats, and markets.
Reiterating the government’s resolve to reform land administration in the state, the commissioner urged citizens to take advantage of the extended timeline to legalize their property documents and get legal ownership.
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