Kano Gov establishes new agency, to regulate utility infrastructure, enhance environmental safety
By KEMI KASUMU
The Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has signed into law the Kano State Infrastructure Management Agency Bill passed by the Kano State House of Assembly.
This act has established the Kano State Infrastructure Management Agency (KASIMA), a new regulatory body tasked with controlling the erection and installation of utility infrastructure across all public spaces in the state.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, dated Friday April 25, 2025.
According to the Dawakin Tofa, this follows the passage of the Kano State Infrastructure Management Agency Law, 2025 (1446 A.H) by the State House of Assembly.
The law aimed at addressing the growing concern over haphazard and unsafe installation of utility facilities such as electricity poles, underground cables, fiber optics, water and gas pipelines, and telecom masts.
Announcing the development, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf described the new agency as a timely intervention to restore order, improve safety, and promote better coordination in infrastructural development across the state.
“KASIMA will bring long-awaited sanity to the way utilities are installed in Kano. The current practice of indiscriminate placement of poles, masts, and cables without regulation has created safety hazards, destroys environmental standard, and disrupted urban planning,” he said.
“The new agency, under the law, will be empowered to:
“• Regulate and supervise all utility infrastructure in public spaces
“• Issue permits and approvals for any installation
“• Inspect and certify safety compliance of projects
“• Monitor Radio Frequency (R.F.) emissions from telecom towers
“• Promote infrastructure sharing (co-location) to reduce duplication
“• Keep a centralized record of all utility infrastructure across the state
“• Recommend removal of illegal, abandoned, or substandard structures
“• Advise the government on infrastructure planning and standards”.
The government emphasized that KASIMA is not intended to obstruct development but to ensure that utility installations are safe, organized, and in line with modern urban planning principles.
“We welcome development and investment, but it must be structured. This agency will ensure that every utility installed in Kano is done with proper planning, safety, and the public interest in mind,” the Governor added.
The law is scheduled to come into effect within the year 2025, with a groundwork already ongoing to set up the agency’s leadership, recruit technical staff, and engage with stakeholders including utility providers and local governments, the statement added.
