Gov Sani applauds CIOTA initiative transforming transport system for investment

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Governor of Kaduna state, Mal. Uba Sani has applauded the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA) for providing regulation and Professional Standards such as training and development programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of transport professionals paving way for investment in the transport sector.

The Governor made the disclosure during his Chairman’s opening address at the 7th National Conference of the Chartered Institute Of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA) in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said ” I’m proud of CIOTA for their professional activities shaping the transport sector for investors to start putting their funds in the sector.

According to him the institute is providing a range of platform for transport professionals, business owners to network, share ideas, and collaborate on industry issues.

Gov Sani while speaking on his achievements in kaduna state said ” The first act in this story has been the roads revolution: whereas only thirty per cent of our twenty-three local government areas previously had truly motorable roads, we have since launched 85 urban and rural roads spanning seven 785 kilometres, with nearly half already completed. These new arteries open up corridors of commerce, connect farmers to markets, traders to customers, commuters to opportunity. Bridges, utilities and public-transport facilities are likewise being restored to support growth and invite investment.

“we unveiled the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT); the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria, and only the second in the country after Lagos. 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 per cent 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.

” 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, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, 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; 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 harmonisation 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.”

The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali has disclosed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has launched first-ever National Land Transport Policy has been validated by stakeholders.

The Minister said “upon my appointment as the minister, I set it as one of my critical objectives and with commitment, perseverance, cooperation of all the major stakeholders, of which CIOTA and its key members made significant contributions, and finally, with the support of Mr President, we were able to get the policy approved at the Federal Executive Council.”

Speaking further on efforts to reposition transportation in Nigeria, the minister said: “the successful test flight of logistics drones developed by engineers at the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, exemplifies our commitment to indigenous innovation. We are positioning Nigeria to harness smart mobility solutions, intelligent transport systems (ITS), and blockchain-enabled logistics to enhance transparency and sustainability.”

The CIOTA president, Prince Segun Obayendo, said the theme for the event, “Repositioning Nigeria’s Transport Infrastructure and Governance Models for Global Competitiveness” acknowledged that Nigeria was not just building transport systems, but was building the arteries of a modern economy.

He further said: “Global competitiveness in transport means seamless multimodal integration. It means a passenger can travel from Kano to Lagos by rail, connect to an international flight, with their cargo moving simultaneously through efficient logistics chains. It means governance models that prioritise efficiency over bureaucracy, innovation over tradition.

“With an estimate of 27 universities offering transportation programs, six polytechnics providing logistics and transport education, and five institutes of maritime studies, we have the educational infrastructure. However, the incessant mishaps on our inland waterways is concerning because the operators are less than professional. If the sector is not professionalised, what becomes of our children pursuing these courses? This underscores the urgent need for rigorous training, certification, and enforcement of professional standards across all transport modes.”