Kano Govt Allocates Land to Over 1,000 Party Marshals, Support Groups

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State Government has allocated plots of land to more than 1,000 party marshals, volunteers and members of community-based support groups as part of efforts to empower young people and provide them with assets to build their future.

The Daily Reality reports that the land allocation ceremony took place on Saturday at the Government House, Kano, with beneficiaries, government officials, party supporters and other stakeholders in attendance.

Speaking at the event, the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, said the beneficiaries had contributed their time, energy and efforts to their communities and the development of the state, describing the allocation as an opportunity for them to build more secure futures.

The governor, who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk, said the government’s decision to allocate the land was based on the belief that young people should be given opportunities to own assets and become economically productive.

“Today, we are giving you land because land can change the life of a person. It can become a home. It can become a business. It can become security for a family. And with time, it can become wealth that you leave for your children,” he said.

Governor Yusuf urged the beneficiaries to protect and develop their plots, stressing that the allocation should not be regarded merely as a piece of paper but as an opportunity to build something meaningful.

He cautioned them against selling the land, urging them to use it to establish homes, businesses or other productive ventures that could benefit their families.

“Do not waste this opportunity. Do not sell your future cheaply. Make something out of what the Government has given you,” the governor said.

The governor also urged youths in the state to channel their energy towards productive activities and shun violence and unnecessary conflicts.

He called on the beneficiaries to help promote government programmes in their communities, calm tensions and discourage young people from engaging in activities capable of undermining their future.

“Where there is misunderstanding, help people understand. Where there is tension, help calm it down. Where young people are being led in the wrong direction, call them back,” he said.

The governor said the land allocation was part of his administration’s broader development agenda, which includes investments in education, healthcare, roads, water supply, agriculture, power, housing, urban development and youth empowerment.

He said the government would continue to create opportunities for young people, noting that empowerment should go beyond providing temporary financial assistance.

“We want young people to have something to protect, something to develop and something they can proudly call their own,” Yusuf said.

He added that the ultimate objective was to ensure that the beneficiaries turned the allocations into homes, businesses and other productive assets that would contribute to the development of their communities.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar, said the exercise was part of the state government’s policy of using land as an instrument of empowerment, housing development and economic inclusion.

Umar said the administration had previously allocated land to various categories of beneficiaries, including political appointees, grassroots supporters, polling agents and youths drawn from the 44 local government areas of the state.

He described the latest allocation as a continuation of the government’s effort to give citizens tangible assets around which they could plan their future and improve the economic security of their families.

The commissioner said the economic impact of the allocations would extend beyond the beneficiaries because the development of the plots would create jobs for professionals, artisans and businesses involved in the construction sector.

“When land is allocated and development begins, an entire chain of economic activity follows. Surveyors are engaged. Architects and draftsmen get work. Masons, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders and labourers are employed,” he said.

He added that construction activities would also increase demand for building materials and transportation services while creating opportunities for businesses around the new layouts.

Umar said the government was committed to developing properly planned settlements with roads, drainage systems, schools, health facilities, markets, mosques, open spaces and other basic amenities.

According to him, the aim was to ensure that new settlements were properly planned and capable of supporting economic activities rather than becoming future challenges due to inadequate infrastructure.

The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the land and avoid disposing of the allocations carelessly.

He said the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning would continue to support the administration’s efforts to expand land ownership, housing development and planned urban growth across Kano State.

Governor Yusuf said the success of the programme would ultimately be measured not by the number of plots allocated but by what the beneficiaries were able to achieve with them.

“When the history of this programme is written, I do not want people to remember only that we allocated more than one thousand plots. I want them to say that from these allocations came new homes, new businesses, stronger families and more peaceful communities,” he said.