Murtala Adewale, Kano

The Kano State Government has announced plans to publish the names of landed property owners who fail to recertify their titles in national dailies, as part of efforts to enforce compliance with the ongoing recertification exercise.

The names of defaulters will also be displayed at prominent public locations across the state, including the Kano State Library, Audu Bako Secretariat, Gidan Murtala, and the Kano State High Court, among others.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabar Mohammad Umar, said the decision to go public with the names was necessitated by the continued non-compliance of some property owners.

“As a last resort, we have resolved to publish the names of all defaulters in national newspapers and at strategic public places to ensure maximum visibility and drive compliance,” he stated.

The commissioner also announced a 60-day extension of the deadline for recertification of land titles, to give affected property owners additional time to comply.

He disclosed that since the exercise commenced in November 2024, a total of 241,025 properties across six metropolitan local government areas have been captured in the state’s land database. However, he lamented that a significant number of property owners are still yet to comply.

Umar warned that the government remains committed to enforcing sanctions, including the revocation of titles, for owners who fail to meet the extended deadline.

He emphasized that the land property enumeration exercise is a critical step towards creating an accurate, extensive, and up-to-date database of land ownership in Kano.

To support the recertification process, Umar said the Kano Geographic Information System (KANGIS) Customer Service Centre will continue to improve its service delivery, both online and in-person, to handle the growing demand efficiently.