Land Use and Land Cover Change Detection in Kano Metropolis: A Multi-Temporal Analysis (2010-2024)

Rapid urbanisation in Nigerian cities has driven significant land use and land cover (LULC) transformations with far-reaching consequences for urban heat, biodiversity, and agricultural land availability. This study examines LULC change dynamics in Kano Metropolis, one of Nigeria's largest and fastest-growing urban centres in the North West geopolitical zone, over a fourteen-year period from 2010 to 2024. Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellite imagery were acquired for four time points and subjected to supervised classification using the Maximum Likelihood Algorithm in ArcGIS Pro. Change detection matrices were computed to quantify transitions among six land cover categories: built-up area, cropland, bare soil, vegetation, water bodies, and mixed-use land. Results indicate that built-up area expanded by approximately 48 percent during the study period, predominantly at the expense of cropland and peri-urban vegetation on the metropolitan fringe. Informal settlement expansion in Fagge and Gwale local government areas accounts for the highest rates of vegetative loss. The study also records a measurable reduction in surface water bodies linked to increased abstraction and siltation of the Challawa River channel. These findings carry implications for urban planning policy, agricultural food security, and climate resilience in Kano State. The research recommends the adoption of a geospatial urban growth boundary framework to direct expansion towards planned corridors while protecting remaining green and agricultural lands. Keywords: land use change, LULC, remote sensing, Kano, urbanisation.