Effect of Contraventions of Building Regulations on the Quality of Built Environment in Nigeria’s Urban Centers: Case Study of Kano Metropolis

Abstract

The orderly growth of Nigerian urban areas is strategically moderated by hierarchic development control instruments of the three tiers of government. The design and construction of buildings for a variety of purposes are carefully managed by urban and regional planners, architects, and engineers among others, usually aid in the enforcement of development regulatory apparatus. This paper appraises development control abuses apparent in some selected neighborhoods of Kano metropolis, as well as their effects on the quality of the built environment. A case study qualitative research approach was applied to evaluate land use breaches in the study area using secondary data accessed from a statutory development control agency, Kano state Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA) over a twenty-year period. The research outcome shows that majority of the planned developments contravened in one way or the other, which manifests in over development through encroachment on setbacks, structures exceeding allowable floor area and change of land use. This implies the incapacitation of such organs to decisively contain urban sprawl, which may not be unconnected with the high deficit of serviced plots to meet the demand of building activities. Building contraventions gradually compromise the level of excellence of the built environment, especially its aesthetics, which leads to dysfunctional human abode, where privacy, fire protection, and natural ventilation are specifically dislodged. Therefore, a re-examination of the physical development process, product, and participants becomes imperative.