Challenges of Property Registration and Titling in Kano Municipal Area

This study examines the challenges associated with formal property registration and land titling in Kano Municipal Area, Kano State, North West Nigeria. Secure property rights through formal registration underpin investment, mortgage finance access, and orderly urban development, yet informal land tenure and registration barriers remain widespread in Kano's rapidly expanding urban area. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology, conducting focus group discussions with thirty property owners, interviews with fifteen officers from the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, and consultations with ten registered estate surveyors practising in Kano. Participants were selected purposively to represent different property tenure types, income groups, and geographic zones of the city. Findings reveal that the most frequently cited registration challenges include high stamp duty and registration fees that are prohibitive for low- and middle-income owners, lengthy processing periods averaging 18 months, complex bureaucratic procedures that necessitate multiple agency visits, and informal payments demanded at various processing stages. Customary landholders in peri-urban Kano face additional challenges in converting traditional title to statutory right-of-occupancy documentation because of conflicts between customary governance systems and formal regulatory requirements. The study recommends harmonising land registration procedures under a single window system, reducing statutory fees for low-value properties, and digitising land records to reduce transaction time and informal payment opportunities. Keywords: property registration, land titling, land tenure, Kano, property rights.