By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
As Nigerians grapple with high fuel prices and transport costs, the Kaduna State Government says its Bus Rapid Transit system will offer immediate relief when construction begins in the first quarter of 2026, with CNG-powered buses set to make commuting cheaper and faster.
Officials disclosed this during a one-day media engagement in Kaduna, where they said the BRT will be the first in Northern Nigeria and the second in the country after Lagos. The 24-kilometre corridor is designed to move thousands of commuters daily while easing pressure on household budgets.
The Managing Director of Kaduna Line and Acting Director General of the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority, KADSTRA, Engineer Inuwa Ibrahim, said the state has completed design and planning and is ready to move to implementation.
He stressed that public communication is key to the success of the project. “Without media, our people, our citizens, will not be able to know what the state government is doing in terms of developmental projects in the entire state of Kaduna State,” Ibrahim said.
The jobs outlook is one of the biggest talking points. According to Ibrahim, the corridor is expected to generate between 10,000 and 20,000 direct and indirect jobs. The system will deploy 120 articulated buses, with employment opportunities for drivers, mechanics, ticketing staff, security and maintenance crews, plus supporting infrastructure like bus stops and shelters.
“Considering this number of fleet, even to say you have 120 drivers, the support, the mechanics, servicing, and so on and so forth. So there is so much economic benefit with respect to this project,” he added.
The switch to Compressed Natural Gas is central to the cost-saving promise. With petrol prices soaring, Ibrahim said CNG is “cheaper and cleaner” and will help keep fares subsidized. “Because the fuel is greener. We are using CNG all through, which is cheaper and cleaner. Even our environment will be more cleaner,” he said.
The Project Coordinator of the Kaduna BRT, Engineer Aliyu Usman, said beyond cost, the project targets sustainability and order. He described it as a move from informal to formal public transport, backed by technology and climate goals.
Engineer Usman explained that the CNG buses will emit far less carbon monoxide, cutting the state’s carbon footprint and aligning with global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. He added that an Intelligent Transport System will be built into the buses to improve security, tracking and overall service delivery.
Commuters should also expect less time in traffic. Usman said the BRT will run on dedicated lanes, which will reduce congestion and cut travel time across busy routes. Fares will be lower than what is currently charged by informal operators.
On execution, he said construction will take about one and a half years under
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