Kano State, as the commercial nerve centre and most populous state in Northern Nigeria, is arguably one of the top states that attracts the highest number of visitors, thereby making it a top property destination for many people.
Despite its vast land that provides for easier construction of various structures, the urban area is situated largely in a densely populated metropolitan area, thereby making the cost of land in areas not considered the heart of the metropolis, quite cheap when compared with other states that share similar attractive property choices.
According to architects and land and property surveyors, Kano has both formal and informal settlements, and the chances of getting more estates in the state are high as people are migrating from old settlements to the new, modern estates that provide security, serenity and are conducive to better living.
Most of the informal settlements in the state are bedevilled with security challenges, a lack of social amenities, and congestion of structures that render the places hopeless for significant change.
Speaking to the Daily Trust, an architect in Kano, Ibrahim Yakubu Adamu said, “The development in estate building and new layouts in Kano is owing to the modern development in property, which paves the way for new areas to emerge.
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“The metropolitan areas are now congested with people, and in some areas, they have tampered with the master plan, which further affects their chances of developing.
“Also, the security challenges have contributed to the congestion in Kano, which paves the way for the establishment of other layouts.
“The state’s population is always growing and its business nature keeps attracting more people, as such, it adds to the need for more places to live in and conduct business.”
Daily Trust gathered that as a result of the growth in population and the need to have more modern properties in the state, new estates are coming up from within the four major entries of the state, bordering the metropolitan local government areas.
It was also learnt that these areas are attracting property investment owing to either a notable government project going on, or being established in the area, or as a result of the people living in the area.
Others are as a result of either the government having designed an architecturally significant residential area or the fact that the area is expected to attract sales or boom in the near future.
Railway
Railway is one of the most trending areas in Kano State which attracts property investment in the state’s metropolis. Located within the railway quarters in Kano, bordering Audu Bako Way and linking to the popular state road in Nasarawa Local Government, the estate is regarded as a no-go area for the masses owing to its high cost and formal structure.
When Daily Trust visited the area, it was found to be quiet, and serene with beautiful gardens and special animals making the place cool and giving it a green nature. The kind of buildings in the area tells the kind of people that live therein, and that the majority of the structures are sparkling new.
According to one of the land valuers in the area, Ali Muhammad Kabo, Railway Estate is among the most secure, expensive and developed property areas in Kano today, making it attractive to government officials, business moguls, investors and even foreigners to relocate to the area.
According to him, the area is special and attracts property investment because of its proximity to Nasarawa GRA, the government house and the security the area has enjoyed since during the colonial era.
“Railway is expensive and different from other newly emerging estates in Kano. This is because it is the only new estate coming up in the heart of the state where new properties are difficult to get.
“We are lucky here because there are still more plots as a result of the railway station, if not that we won’t get land to build these mansions that you are seeing.
“The reason why people are trooping here is that it is closer to the government house and Nasarawa GRA. Also, the railway station that existed for many decades has contributed to getting new plots in the area.
“The place is expensive, that is why even the government officials or marketers have to be big ones or else they can’t afford it. The majority of those who rent the houses are foreigners because a flat costs between N4 to N8 million per year,” he said.
He added that a complete house measuring 50×50 will cost around N100 to N300 million, adding that some coat even more than that.
Jaba
Jaba, also an area in Nasarawa LGA, with other parts from Ungogo and Fagge local governments, is among the most trending places attracting property investment in Kano metropolis.
Dominated mostly by strangers, Igbo in particular, the area is neighbouring the Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), the first international airport in the country.
Additionally, Jaba is booming because it is surrounded by various security operatives in the state, such as the Bukavo Army Barracks, the Nigerian Air Force and the police facility.
Although some few years ago, the places were basically farmlands with the owners engaging in the farming of fruits and vegetables, an estate agent in the area, Abdulaziz Lawan, said it started to develop after the establishment of the World Trade Zone area by the Obasanjo administration.
“Jaba was basically farmlands belonging to the residents of the village. But because it is close to the city area, it has witnessed rapid development within a short period of time. It will be incomplete if you list the most attractive property places without mentioning Jaba.
“The coming of the Free Trade Zone into the area was an eye opener to the property investment in Jaba. The road linking the airport to the trade zone paved the way for people to think of investing in the area which further makes it among the top in properties.
“The place is good and with adequate security. Unity Estate is the top where a piece of land goes for about N50 million while in other places it goes for N10 to N20 million,” he said.
Kankare
Just like Jaba, Kankare is another area of the state metropolis that attracts property investment in Kano. Located in Ungogo local government, the place also borders the popular Janguza Army Barrack, hence the reason for its rapid development and attraction to investors.
The reason for its current development is attributed not only to Janguza barracks, but also the prestigious Bayero University Kano (BUK) located along the axis of the place. It was gathered that people are now trooping to buy land and reserve for future uses, as it is just growing, unlike Jaba and Janguza.
“Even though the area is just growing, there are houses built already. Some investors have bought some of the land and kept them for the future. The price ranges from N4 million to N20 million.
There is water here, and the place is close to a recently established TCN power station which will pave the way for provision of adequate electricity.
Tudun Yola
Tudun Yola, as fondly called by its residents, is one of the trending areas in Kano where property is booming. With some of its parts in Gwale local government, others are in Ungogo local government area of the state metropolis.
The area is categorised into A, B and C; it attracts property investment due to its closeness to popular Gwarzo road, Kabuga area and a recent ring road, surrounding the state from its entrance via Zaria road to the exit area in Dawanau, Dawakin Tofa local government.
According to one of the investors in the area, Alhaji Ashafa Mansur, the three areas in Tudun Yola vary. He said the most expensive is Tudun Yola C, followed by B and A.
“Tudun Yola C is expensive because the layout is entirely different from B and A. It is like European design. The houses are numbered, the streets are named: there is Ethiopian street, Herbert Macaulay Street and more. This is how it is designed. There is light, water and good provision for security,” Mansur added.
Zawachiki/Kaadawa
Zawachiki and Kaadawa are two different highbrow areas located within the same axis in Kano metropolis. The two areas are under Kumbotso local government and are attracting property investment in recent days due to many factors.
Among the reasons for the attraction to invest in the area is the newly constructed Dala Inland Dry Port which was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this year.
The Kano-Kaduna train station is also located a few kilometres from the areas. Also, the area is neighbouring the main state facility of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) which guarantees the adequate supply of electricity.
A land expert in the area, Auwalu Abdulrashid, said, “Another reason for the development in the area with regard to properties is the ring road that passes through. This has given the area a new name and outlook which attracts investors and wealthy individuals to own property there.
“Apart from that, the place is also close to the Challawa Water Treatment plant which is an added advantage to getting adequate potable water in the area.”
However, despite the above listed as among the trending property investment areas, there are other property areas that have been in existence for a long and are still witnessing a significant boom. Although there are no available plots in those areas, people are still patronizing them either in the form of rent or buying and renovating structures into modern ones.
Some of these areas include Nasarawa GRA, Badawa Layout, Bompai GRA, Hotoro GRA, NNDC Quarters, Sharada, and CBN Quarters among others.
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