Kano master plan review: A sure way to socio-economic development

A Master Plan can be defined as a comprehensive development proposal in a form of documented report, accompanied with various maps and designs prepared to guide all aspects of development within a town or settlement over a period of about 15-20 years. Therefore, a Master plan ensures an orderly development of town/ city. It estimates […]

A Master Plan can be defined as a comprehensive development proposal in a form of documented report, accompanied with various maps and designs prepared to guide all aspects of development within a town or settlement over a period of about 15-20 years.
Therefore, a Master plan ensures an orderly development of town/ city. It estimates the future land requirement for use and helps in ensuring infrastructure balance. 
Kano town which has been in existence for a long time is the commercial hub of trans-Saharan trade and its tremendous growth and development was attributed to commercial, cultural and educational activities. The traditional institutions that governed the town, especially before the colonial era were organized and each council member was delegated with a specific function for easy administration. Kano adopted some changes in term of physical development as a result of township laws declared by colonial administration in 1917. Along other northern towns, Kano was reshaped to suit the need of the colonial administration which gave birth to the Government Reserved Area (GRA) for Europeans and other selected individuals. Similarly, some elements of regulation on the use of land were introduced in order to guide against misuse. In 1947 however, the Town and Country Planning Act was enacted by the northern regional government to further strengthen the town’s regulation and ensure compliance.
 The law was to provide land reservation for roads and expansion of existing ones, consideration for building lines, public and private right of ways were also accommodated in the documents among others. Under this law grid iron pattern layouts emerged in some towns and urban centres in the northern region in order to improve physical development.
The scenario was maintained until 1963, when the greater Kano project also called “Kano Travellion Master Plan” came into effect for city planning and expansion of utilities among others, with implementation period covering 1963-1983.
When the project was conceived in 1962, Kano had about 250,000 inhabitants but by 1980s the population rose to about one million.  During the period of the greater project, there were remarkable achievements where many roads were constructed. The Murtala Mohammed Way, linking  Katsina Road, Gwammaja linking Murtala Mohammed and Aminu Kano Way were all constructed. Also the Emir’s Palace Road linking Kofar Mata and Kofar Nassarawa was constructed among others. In a similar vein, many other facilities were provided. Waste disposal sites were increased to cover the rapidly expanding city and land use zoning was strictly enforced. Mosques and market motor parks were decentralized to reduce congestion and more industrial and residential layouts established. To reduce the concentration of activities in the city, selected town development plan projects were introduced in 1978. The towns include Kazaure, Gumel, HadejiaBirnin-Kudu of the former Kano State and Gwarzo, Rano, Danbatta, and Wudil.
However, from the 1990s, there was population explosion in Kano City.  Based on the last census exercise, Kano State has an estimated population of about 15million.  Following the development, the city is now bedeviled with problems ranging from inadequate facilities and services to cater for the teeming population. The proliferation of illegal and substandard structures through informal layouts has been a lingering problem for city planners. Environmental degradation due to uncontrolled waste disposal and drainage blockages are of serious concern.
 Kano which is said to have received the highest number of visits by international political, economic and religious leaders after the federal capital is now a shadow of its former self. There were attempts by successive administrations to improve the quality of lives of the people through planning and implementation of socio-economic development projects such as urban and rural roads expansion, housing provision and other social services but the major problems were inadequately addressed. Recently, the present administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje awarded a contract for the Kano master plan review and other towns’ project in order to address the obsolete development plan.
This is a giant step taken at the right time, as it would correct the anomalies of the past.  It is also hoped that this project will be part of government’s priority projects in order to ensure its speedy completion. Kano people should co-operate with the consultants handling the project in the area of data generation and inventory. Besides, the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning and Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, (KANUPDA), should embark on massive public enlightenment on the benefit of the project to the citizens and other residents of the state.
Also, all affected local government areas should co-operate with consultants to ensure a hitch-free exercise. It is hoped that after the completion of the exercise, government will move for its implementation.
Sani, a city planner, wrote from No. 4 Abinsa House, Zaria Road, Kano. He can be reached at [email protected]