By Uzair Adam
The Kano State Government has allocated plots of land to 1,000 youths drawn from the 44 local government areas of the state, bringing to about 3,500 the number of beneficiaries of its recent land allocation exercises.
The latest exercise comes about two weeks after the government distributed land allocation documents to about 2,500 political appointees and polling agents, as part of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s efforts to expand home ownership, reduce the housing deficit and empower different segments of the state’s population.
Representing the governor at the latest allocation ceremony, the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, said the initiative was particularly significant because it focused on one of the state’s greatest assets — its youth.
Yusuf said 1,000 young men and women from across the 44 local government areas had been selected to benefit from the programme, describing the allocation as part of his administration’s commitment to creating opportunities for young people to own assets, build wealth and become productive contributors to society.
“Land remains one of the most valuable assets anyone can own. It appreciates over time, creates economic opportunities, provides security for families, and serves as a foundation upon which lasting wealth can be built,” the governor said.
He said providing young people with access to land would lay the foundation for a generation of homeowners, entrepreneurs, developers and investors.
According to him, the programme formed part of the administration’s broader strategy to gradually bring different segments of Kano society onto the housing ladder, reduce the state’s housing deficit, expand home ownership and improve living standards.
The governor stressed that the beneficiaries were not receiving just any plots, but land within government-approved and professionally designed layouts.
He said the layouts had been planned with wide access roads, drainage systems, schools, healthcare facilities, places of worship, parks, open spaces, markets and security facilities.
“These layouts are not very much different from what we have in Nassarawa GRA. Such planning ensures orderly development, protects the environment, improves public safety, and significantly enhances the long-term value of your property,” Yusuf said.
The governor urged the beneficiaries to protect their allocation documents and avoid disposing of their plots hastily for immediate financial gains.
“Do not regard this allocation document as ordinary pieces of paper. They represent opportunity. They represent dignity. They represent security. And they represent the beginning of a brighter future for you,” he said.
Yusuf assured young people in Kano that his administration would continue to create opportunities for their economic and social empowerment, noting that government was also investing in education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, skills development, industrialisation, technology and enterprise development.
He urged the beneficiaries to remain law-abiding, hardworking and committed to the development of their communities, saying they should serve as good ambassadors of Kano State.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar, described the allocation as another “bold and unprecedented initiative” by the Yusuf administration aimed at empowering Kano youths.
Umar said the 1,000 beneficiaries were drawn from across the 44 local government areas of the state, adding that the exercise demonstrated that the administration was not merely making promises but was committed to fulfilling them.
He said Governor Yusuf recognised young people as “the greatest asset of Kano State” and believed that every hardworking young person deserved an opportunity to own land, build a home, create wealth and secure a better future for their families.
The commissioner explained that the latest programme was part of a wider government vision to bring different segments of Kano society onto the housing ladder, expand home ownership, reduce the housing deficit and ensure that more citizens had legally recognised and secure properties.
He also emphasised the quality and planning of the layouts where the beneficiaries were allocated plots.
“These are government-approved layouts professionally planned by experts and every layout has been carefully designed with proper road networks, drainage systems, schools, healthcare facilities, open spaces and security facilities,” Umar said.
Umar urged the beneficiaries to value the opportunity, warning them against treating the allocation documents as ordinary papers or rushing to sell their plots because of immediate financial needs.
“My advice to every beneficiary is simple: value this opportunity. Do not regard these allocation documents as ordinary papers and do not rush to sell them because of immediate financial needs,” he said.
He advised them to protect their documents, develop their plots when they were able to and allow the properties to serve as the foundation of their families’ future.
The commissioner further said the administration had declared what he described as a decisive war against illegal land grabbing, locally known as “Awon igiya”.
He assured that the government would continue to recover public lands, prosecute offenders and restore sanity to land administration across the state.
Umar congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to remain responsible, productive and law-abiding citizens while supporting government programmes and serving as ambassadors of the administration.
