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From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Ubah Sani, has revealed that his administration is keen to boost the economy through the light rail transportation project, and the bus terminals project across.
Governor Ubah Sani, made this known in Abuja on Tuesday while declaring open 2the 025 edition of the National Transportation conference organized by the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA).
The Kaduna State Governor, who was the Chairman of the occasion, said that his administration will soon commission an ultramodern Light-Rail transportation system for commercial use, which will be second after that of Lagos State.
The Governor further highlighted, “As we chart the course of a transport revolution in our beloved Kaduna State. This conference comes at a moment filled with promise, when the arteries of our cities and the pathways of our people call not for small adjustments, but for bold and visionary renewal.
“Transportation remains the lifeblood of every society; it connects people and places, drives economic growth, and shapes the rhythm of daily life. In Kaduna, as in many rapidly growing African states, the pressures of urbanization and population expansion have brought familiar challenges: congestion, delays, inadequate infrastructure, and the frustration of limited mobility.
“When my administration assumed office about two and a half years ago, we placed the overhaul of Kaduna’s transport ecosystem at the centre of our urban-renewal agenda. These are
not abstract promises; but financed projects, under construction initiatives, and in many cases services already being delivered to our citizens. The first act in this story has been the road’s revolution. Whereas only thirty percent of our twenty-three local government areas previously had truly motorable roads, we have since launched 85 urban and rural roads spanning 7,785 kilometres, with nearly half already completed. These new arteries open up corridors of commerce, connect farmers to markets, traders to customers, and commuters to opportunity. Bridges, utilities, and public-transport facilities are likewise being restored to support growth and invite investment”.
Part of his administration’s achievement in the transport sector is the unveiling of the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT); the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria, and only the second in the country after Lagos.
Governor Ubah, noted that a partnership between the State Government and the Agence Française de Développement, the KBRT will feature a dedicated 24-km corridor from Rigachikun to Sabon Tasha, and is supported by more than thirty billion naira in counterpart funding.
“With 120 articulated buses powered by compressed natural gas, we expect a thirty-eight percent reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel-cost savings of approximately 1.8 billion naira annually. The ripple effect in jobs will be profound: 3,200 direct roles and over 11,000 indirect opportunities within ICT, security, retail, maintenance, and allied services.
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“In March, 2025, we undertook the groundbreaking of our modern interstate bus terminal at Kakuri, Kaladu South. Designed and fully funded by Kaduna State, this terminal consolidates previously dispersed and unregulated motor parks into a singular, regulated hub. With operations already seventy-five per cent completed, the terminal will raise internally-generated revenue, enforce regulatory control, and deliver thousands of job opportunities; ushering in a cleaner, safer, more efficient transport network.
“In June 2025, under the leadership of the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we launched a subsidised transport scheme that brought one hundred brand-new CNG and hybrid buses into service across Kaduna State. This initiative was designed to ease the impact of fuel-subsidy removal and provide real relief to ordinary citizens. To further demonstrate our commitment to the welfare of our citizens, we resolved to make the rides free of charge to support our students, workers, retirees, the poor, vulnerable, and underserved, a gesture that has already saved commuters over half a billion naira. Alongside this, we are constructing more than two hundred modern bus stops in the first phase of a project that will ultimately provide safe, comfortable, and accessible facilities across the entire state. On July 21, we also broke ground for the
3 new Sobawa Motor Park, which will replace the old Kawo Park, is a major step toward decongesting the city, improving accessibility, and ensuring the safety and convenience of all road users.
“Our vision goes further to lay rails: the Kaduna Light Rail project, now at an advanced stage, will be rolled out in phases. Phase 1 will revive the Rigachikun-Sabon Tasha corridor; Phase 2 will link Millennium City to the Abuja-Kaduna rail, re-tying some fifty kilometres of strategic transit. Simultaneously, we are upgrading and digitising our trailer parks at Tafa and Maraban Jos in collaboration with private investors; each designed to accommodate 500 trucks, to unlock revenue, curb accidents, relieve congestion, and improve efficiency for our long-haul transport operators. For the sake of regulatory clarity and security, we launched in 2023 an investigation and harmonization of illegal motor parks in the state. More than fifty such sites were identified, and we relocated operations to the newly built Mando motor park while tasking our security and regulatory agencies to conduct inspections and improve oversight.
“Concerning our state-owned mass transit enterprise, the Kaduna Line Transport Company, we discovered deeper structural encumbrances including a debt in excess of seventy million naira. We cleared the debt, introduced e-ticketing and digitised operations, provided staff training, harmonised routes, and strengthened alliances with other transit players. By doing so, we have reignited the company’s operational efficiency, restored investor trust, and made it fit to serve the people once again.
“The work we have undertaken moves us; from motion to movement, from intention to asphalt, from rhetoric to rail. The wheels of this transformation are turning, and they will not stop until every village, every valley, every vista of our beloved state is connected to the promise of a greater tomorrow. When the annals of Northern Nigeria’s renaissance are written, let it be recorded that Kaduna State, under this administration, modernised the transport sector and made it a central fulcrum of our economic revitalisation. Our farmers, artisans, civil servants, petty traders, factory workers, fashion designers, and software developers alike will share one dependable promise: you will get there on time, safely, and affordably, and with dignity.
