**1. Introduction**

Cities around the world are experiencing rapid and unprecedented population growth, especially in developed and developing countries of the 20th Century [1–5]. Global estimates indicate that the population of urban areas has increased from a previous 13% in 1900 to 30% in 1950. This figure further rose to 55% in 2018, and it is projected that by 2050, 68% of the global population will live in cities [3].

This reflects an astronomical growth in the urban population from about 751 million in 1950 to approximately 4.2 billion in 2018. The pattern and trend of urban growth in Sub-Saharan African countries such as Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, have been relatively tremendous [6, 7]. Prominent cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano are developing and experiencing a rapid increase in population, with a consistent urban growth rate above 2% per annum [3]. Hence, becoming more urbanized with rapid population growth [4, 5, 8–10].

Kano, one of Nigeria's largest cities with an urban growth rate of between 2 to 2.5%, has witnessed rapid and continuous population growth over the years. Its population increased from 9,383,682 million in 2006 to an estimated 15 million inhabitants [11]. Thus, becoming a city with the highest population in Nigeria's Northern region and the second-largest in the country. The city and its metropolis have also witnessed spatial growth and expansion. The area of the city has increased from an estimated 122.7 km2 in 1962 to approximately 154.6 km2 in 1981 [12]. This suggests an average expansion of about 25% (i.e., 2km2 ) per annum. The city further witnessed rapid growth and expanded to about 196.4 km2 in 1986, 337.9 km2 in 2005, and was projected to have covered 499 km2 in 2015 [13]. The rapid population growth and spatial expansion of Kano are mainly due to various factors that include the historical, cultural, environmental, and socio-economic development of the city. Similarly, in-migration and trans-Saharan trade that brought the influx of people to the city has also contributed to the high population of the city [14, 15]. This has led to various consequences, some of which include; deterioration of urban infrastructures and facilities, environmental pollution [16–19], inaccessibility to urban facilities and services [16, 19], inadequate and dilapidated housing [18, 20, 21], lack of potable water, flooding as well as unemployment, poverty and increased crime rates [22]. Presently, very few comprehensive studies exist on the dynamics of urban growth in the ancient city of Kano, which is the largest city in Northern Nigeria and the second largest in Nigeria. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to critically examine the challenges of urbanization and urban growth in Kano with a focus on recent government strategies and initiatives to address these challenges.

The key objectives of this article are to:

