…Champions peace model to end banditry
Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, has announced sweeping reforms in the state’s transport and peace sectors – unveiling a ₦30 billion transportation overhaul alongside a non-kinetic peace initiative designed to end years of killings and kidnappings through education, trust, and livelihood opportunities rather than cash amnesty.
Speaking at the 7th National Transport Conference, Governor Sani described the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) project as “historic and transformative”, noting that the ₦30 billion counterpart fund would support a partnership with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to deliver the first Bus Rapid Transit in northern Nigeria – and only the second nationwide after Lagos.
According to him, the 24-kilometre KBRT corridor will stretch from Rigachikun to Sabon-Tasha, featuring 120 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered articulated buses aimed at cutting CO₂ emissions by 38% and saving commuters ₦1.8 billion annually in fuel costs.
“We are creating 3,200 direct jobs and 11,000 indirect jobs while modernizing our urban mobility system,” Sani said, adding that the Kaduna Light Rail Project and Modern Interstate Bus Terminal, in Kakuri, are part of the broader urban renewal drive.
He revealed that 100 brand-new CNG/Hybrid buses commissioned by President Bola Tinubu in June were deployed under the Kaduna Subsidized Transport Scheme, which continues to provide free rides to students, workers, and retirees — saving over ₦500 million since July 2025.
To ensure safety and efficiency, the government is constructing over 200 bus stops across the state, relocating old motor parks, and upgrading trailer parks at Tafa and Maraban-Jos, while also digitalizing operations through e-ticketing under the revitalized Kaduna Line.
“Kaduna is becoming a model for sustainable transport, not just for Nigeria, but for Africa”, the governor affirmed.
In a related development, the state government has also intensified its non-kinetic security approach – the Kaduna Peace Model – which seeks to address insecurity by restoring trust, education, and livelihoods in bandit-ravaged communities rather than offering monetary settlements.
At a workshop on ‘Peace Journalism’, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents’ Chapel, the Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaƙi, explained that the peace model emphasises community-led reconciliation.
“You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust”, he stated, noting that instead of ransom payments, the state reopened schools, healthcare centres, and markets in conflict-prone areas — a decision that helped reintegrate displaced communities.
Between 2015 and 2023, Kaduna recorded 4,876 deaths across 1,160 security incidents, but according to Maiyaƙi, cooperation between the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Kaduna Peace Committee has led to the negotiated release of over 500 captives without ransom.
Former bandit leaders now serve as peace mediators, and over 500,000 hectares of farmland have been recovered, reviving agriculture and trade in Giwa, Birnin-Gwari, and Kauru.
“Markets have reopened, and cattle trucks now move freely on roads once deserted.Our people wanted dignity, not pity. Once they saw sincerity, they embraced peace”, Maiyaƙi said.
Governor Sani, reaffirming his commitment, said peace and infrastructure were twin pillars of Kaduna’s progress: “We are not declaring victory. We are declaring commitment – to rebuild, reconnect, and restore hope to every community”.
