Urbanization and the Provision of Urban Infrastructure in Kano Metropolis, 1963-2015

Abstract

Urbanization has been taking place in Kano Metropolis unabated during the period under review. Urbanization and provision of urban infrastructure are supposed to be going hand in hand. This is because it is the supply and maintenance of infrastructure that makes a city on the one hand and formed the basis for the proper functioning of any city on the other. In the case of Kano Metropolis however, it has been noted that the provision of urban infrastructure, such as roads, drainage, water supply, electricity have not been adequate. This is because the teeming population of the metropolis exerts pressure on the existing infrastructure, coupled with the fact that there was no continuity in the implementation of a particular development plan that was specifically designed for the metropolis. The paper examines urbanization and provision of urban infrastructure in Kano Metropolis. It argues that urbanization has been taking place in Kano Metropolis continuously alongside apparent non provision of adequate urban infrastructure. The paper also argues that various factors, such as rapid population growth and lack of continuity in policy formulation and implementation contributed to this problem. The paper relies on government documents and other secondary
text materials both published and unpublished. The paper is structured into five parts which include: Introduction, Background
History of Kano Metropolis, Urbanization in Kano Metropolis, 1963-2015, Provisions of Urban Infrastructure in Kano Metropolis, 1963-2015 and lastly conclusion.