Kano State Government says N30 million has been proposed in the 2021 budget to kick start the process of constructing housing estates across the five Emirate Councils in the State, according to the State’s Commissioner for Housing and Transport, Alhaji Mahmud Muhammad.
Muhammad, who said this shortly after he appeared before the state assembly’s committee on Transport and Housing on Monday in Kano to defend the ministry’s 2021 budget estimates, identified the beneficiary Emirate Councils as Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi.
He said the amount was budgeted for the procurement and clearance of land across the Emirate Councils where the estates will be sited.
“In the 2021 budget, we proposed N3.2 billion because one of our priorities in the budget is to provide affordable and available houses through our housing scheme for the people of the state.
“We also proposed N3 billion to ensure the commencement of our planned light rail project, while N200 million is for the realization of our mass transport initiative, which is by a public/private partnership.” He said.
Similarly, the Managing Director, Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), Alhaji Baffa Dan’agundi said the agency projects to generate revenues worth N1.5 billion in 2021, just as it plans to recruit additional 1,400 officers following approval granted by Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje.
“We have so far recruited about 700, and by January next year, we are hoping to recruit additional 700 Officers’’ to ensure free flow of traffic across the State, the KAROTA Chief Executive said.
Dan’agundi said the agency, in collaboration with the Kano Road Maintenance Agency (KARMA), will also embark on the rehabilitation of roads within Kano metropolis in January 2021.