**6.3 Problem of urban mobility and traffic congestion**

The problem of urban mobility in most Nigerian cities arises mainly from economic activities, the high concentration of the populace, and the availability of social amenities, particularly in cities with poor and inefficient land-use planning [64, 65]. With its growing population, Kano is one of the notable cities in Nigeria experiencing rapid urbanization and development, with increasing demand for transport infrastructures. However, the city lacks an efficient mass transport strategy and framework required of a densely populated urban center. This results in the demand for transport facilities and services exceeding its supply. Hence, creating numerous urban mobility challenges in Kano. The most common mode of transportation in Kano is through road networks using private cars, mini-busses, shared taxis, taxicabs, motorcycles, and tricycles (**Figure 12**), popularly referred to 'Keke-NAPEP' or 'Adaidaita Sahu' that have the advantage of low fare and availability [66–68]. However, despite the advantages, these modes of transport have contributed to increased vehicle traffic, leading to various transport-related problems that include overcrowding and worsening of traffic congestion (**Figure 13**), deterioration of public transport infrastructures, parking challenges, high rate of accidents, and many others [69]. This serves as a severe challenge to the sustainable urban growth of Kano.

Recently, the Government of Kano State resolved to establish an efficient network of public mass transport by providing new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) busses in the

**Figure 12.** *Different modes of transportation.*

**Figure 13.** *Traffic congestion in Kano.*

## *Understanding the Challenges of 21st Century Urbanization in Northern Nigeria's Largest City… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109400*

city's metropolis through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in a bid to improve efficiency, enhance road transport usage and reduce traffic congestion in the city [70]*.* This is in addition to the major investment in developing several road networks, overhead bridges, and the reconstruction and expansion of more than 31 existing roads in the city. Such bridges include the Madobi/Panshekara Road Junction underpass, Bukavu Barracks underpass and flyover, Dangi flyover and multi-level underpass, and the flyover at Murtala Muhammad Way. The road networks include Sheik Jaafar road, Eastern bypass to Unguwa Uku road, Civic Centre Road, Nassarawa Hospital road, Bompai road, and Abattoir road. Others include Tudun Murtala to Yantsaki Road, Yan Katako to Zaria Road, Manladan Kulkul Road, Obasanjo Road, Sharada road, Emirs Palace road, and many others. However, Murtala [71] believes that these attempts at resolving transportation challenges in Kano would not work independently due to fragmentation and inconsistency. Therefore, in addition to the construction of overhead bridges and road networks. The government ought to develop a transformational framework and radical strategy to transform Kano city's transport sector and ease the transport challenges in the city.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) [72] and Vuchic [73], the most sustainable approach to the mass transportation of people in cities having a large growing population is the reactivation and transformation of the city's mass transit system. As such, the modernization of intracity mobility networks in Kano and the development of alternatives to mini-busses, shared taxis, tricycles, and motorcycles to effectively manage the city's rising passenger demand for transportation is therefore necessary. The development of a light rail transport system will reduce the increasing demand for road transport by passengers in Kano. It will also ease the city's diverse externalities and negative impacts due to overcrowding, deteriorating public transport networks, worsening traffic congestion, parking challenges, and high accident rates. Hence, the successful adoption and implementation of an efficient transport framework in Kano will no doubt have tremendous impacts on the city's transport challenges.

#### **6.4 Unemployment and increased crime rates**

Another challenge faced due to the urban growth and development of most urban centers in Nigeria is the increase in the rate of underemployed and unemployed due to marginal and low productivity [74]. This has continuously affected the employment generation capacity in urban centers such as Lagos, Abuja, and Kaduna in Nigeria, resulting in high rates of unemployment in the country due to the decrease in capacity utilization in the industrial and commercial sectors of the economy. Kano, the largest urban center in Northern Nigeria, is not an exception. Previous studies revealed Kano as the state with the highest unemployed populace in Northern Nigeria [75]. Data released from [Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics [76]] also indicates the unemployment rate of Kano to be approximately 31.3% in 2018, which is the highest in Northern Nigeria. It presented an increase in the rate of underemployment in Kano from a previous 19.3% in 2017 to 24.3% in 2018. The data from the report also points out Kano as a state with the third (3rd) highest unemployed population in Nigeria of approximately 1,257,130, after Rivers and Awka Ibom having an unemployed populace of 1,673,991 and 1,357,754, respectively. This signifies a growing increase and the high rate of unemployment and underemployment in Kano, which is primarily due to the migration of people in pursuit of jobs without a corresponding increase in new employment opportunities in the city. The shutdown of most industries in Kano due

to the economic downturn further contributes to the inadequate employment opportunities in the city. The consequences of this rising rate of unemployment in Kano are a decrease in quality of life, income inequality, and an increase in crime rate and other social vices such as burglary, theft, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, political thuggery, murder, and many others [77, 78]. This, therefore, needs urgent attention for the sustenance of live hood and the protection of lives in the city.

As a result, the Kano State government and Nigeria's Federal government have, over recent years, established various empowerment programs to confront the challenge of youth unemployment in Kano. Such programs include; the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP), the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin) program, the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), the Agro-processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project, the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP), the Integrated Youth Development Initiative, and recently the N-Power empowerment program. All these programs are geared towards drastically addressing the problem of youth employment through enhanced skills acquisition and job creation. The recently established N-Power empowerment program employs youth in various sectors of the economy, such as agriculture (N- Power Agro), construction (N- Power Build), healthcare (N- Power Health), teaching (N- Power Teach), and taxation (N- Power Tax).

However, despite these programs and projects introduced by successive federal and state governments, the unemployment and underemployment rate remains significantly high and worrisome in Kano, due to its negative impact on the society and the state's local economy. Some of the factors identified as being responsible for the incessant high unemployment rate in Kano despite these interventions include; the uncoordinated approach between the three tiers of government, the lack of synergy among relevant government authorities in Nigeria, the politicization of youth employment and empowerment interventions as well as the lack of transparency and accountability in the distribution of empowerment and employment opportunities [79]. Therefore, the federal, state and local government should establish and promote inclusive platforms for inter-agency corporations in relevant government agencies dealing with developing, managing, and monitoring various youth empowerment and employment schemes. The three (3) tiers of the government also need to establish a sectoral framework and standards to entrench the principle of accountability and transparency in current and future youth empowerment and employment programs. This is in addition to facilitating the regular publication of reports containing details of various youth empowerment and employment program beneficiaries. This will help significantly help in ensuring transparency and accountability as well as delivering the objectives of such programs.
