MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS KADUNA STATE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND TRANSPORT SECTOR

The Federal Ministry of Transportation has indicated interest to partner with the Kaduna State Government to upgrade and expand the transportation network to improve connectivity and accessibility for the growth of the economy. The Minister of Transportation, Senator SAID AHMED ALKALI made this known in response to an offer made by Kaduna State Governor, Senator UBA SANI, during a meeting at his office in Abuja. Senator ALKALI said that the Transportation Ministry was working hard to ensure to deliver on the Kaduna-Kano segment of the railway modernization project by next year, as well as that the Kano-Maradi axis, with a link to Dutse. He said the project was being executed in alignment with the "Renewed Hope Agenda" of the administration of President BOLA AHMED TINUBU for the transportation sector. The Minister mandated the Director in the office of the Permanent Secretary, MUSA IBRAHIM, to work towards inaugurating a committee next week to ensure timely completion of the rail project in Kaduna State. He said the committee will comprise of officials from the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the Kaduna State Government, adding that it would be required to submit a report on the light rail project within two weeks. While commending the Kaduna State Governor for his developmental strides within a short period of time he has been in office, the transportation minister assured him that the Ministry will continue to collaborate with his government and the good people of Kaduna State to ensure timely delivery of all railway modernization projects. "I give you the assurance that the Ministry will continue to collaborate with the sub-nationals to ensure the development of the rail transportation in the country. Transportation is the gateway of the nation's economy. There is no way any nation can fix its GDP without getting an affordable transportation sector", the Minister asserted. Earlier, the Governor of Kaduna State, UBA SANI, said he decided to visit the Federal Ministry of Transportation to seek collaboration for improvement of the transport sector in the state, pointing out that, the Minister since inception had repositioned the transportation sector. The Governor said that Kaduna State transport sector has greatly improved, adding that, with the launch of a Bus Rapid Transportation (BRT) five months ago, as well as the introduction of one hundred buses powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which according to him, will go a long way towards alleviating transportation issues in the state. Speaking further, Governor SANI revealed that to support the smooth implementation of the Kaduna State master plan on transportation, President BOLA TINUBU provided the sum of One Hundred Billion Naira in the 2025 budget for the construction of the Kaduna Light -Rail Transit.