Kano govt mandates re-certification of C-of-Os issued since 1963

The Kano State Government has called on all current owners of landed property to re-certify the Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) issued to them from 1963 to date, prior to the establishment of the state, or risk having them rendered invalid at the expiration of this exercise on the 31st of January, 2025.

The state commissioner for land and physical planning, Alhaji Abdul-Jabba Mohammed Umar, made this known on Wednesday while addressing a press conference at his office in Kano.

He said, “I am delighted to be here with you today. If you may recall, on the 25th of November, 2024, the State Governor of Kano State, Alh. Abba Kabir Yusuf made an important announcement to the world when he officially flagged off the recertification exercise of all current Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) issued by the Kano State Government, as well as calling on all residents to take advantage to either register or renew their interest in landed properties across the state.”

As part of this transformation, all current C-of-O will be rendered invalid at the expiration of this exercise on the 31st of January, 2025.

“I wish to remind the general public that in this administration’s efforts to provide an avenue for obtaining land documents affordably and seamlessly, as well as secure and strengthen land titles in the state, the latest and state-of-the-art infrastructure has been provided at the Kano State Geographic Information System (KANGIS). This new system offers a host of critical benefits, including ensuring the integrity of property rights while significantly reducing incidents of fraud by criminals.”

The new certificates are designed with advanced security features, rendering them virtually impossible to forge.

He emphasised that the owners must “provide accurate and reliable records through eliminating manual processes and thereby minimising errors, manipulation of land files and titles, and delays in processing transactions. This will also make land ownership verification and updates more straightforward.”

Alhaji Umar added, “I take this opportunity to call on all landowners across Kano State to promptly initiate the recognition of their titles.

Again, I will reiterate that this process guarantees that ownership records are accurate, secure, and protected from future disputes, thereby safeguarding the investments and aspirations of our people,” the commissioner said.

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