Business
Kaduna Launches Bus Rapid Transit To Ease Congestion
By Amina Samuel, Kaduna
The Kaduna State government has unveiled a groundbreaking urban mobility project aimed at transforming public transportation in the state.
The Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) system, spearheaded by Governor Uba Sani, is set to introduce a 24-kilometer dedicated transit corridor, significantly reducing congestion and enhancing the quality of life for residents.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, the Director General of Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KADSTRA), Engr. Inuwa Ibrahim, described the KBRT as more than just a transport initiative, calling it a game-changer for Kaduna’s economy and urban development.
“The KBRT project is expected to provide safer and more reliable transport, decongest the urban center, reduce travel time, and improve both road safety and environmental sustainability,” Ibrahim stated.
The French Development Agency (AFD) is partnering with Kaduna State in funding the initiative.
Governor Uba Sani has committed significant resources to the project, allocating ₦97 million in counterpart funding in 2023, ₦699 million in the 2024 budget, and ₦30 billion earmarked for 2025, including ₦5 billion in counterpart funding.
According to Ibrahim, the KBRT corridor will stretch from Kawo Bridge to Sabon Tasha, featuring well-structured bus stations and shelters to enhance passenger convenience.
“More than just an infrastructural development, KBRT represents a shift towards a modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation system that will enhance mobility, stimulate economic growth, and create job opportunities for Kaduna residents,” he added.
Governor Uba Sani’s administration has prioritized structured and sustainable urban transport solutions to tackle congestion, unregulated transport operations, and inefficiencies in Kaduna.
The KBRT project is a major component of this vision, promising a more organized, efficient, and safer public transit system.
As construction begins, residents are encouraged to support the project, which is expected to bring visible improvements to Kaduna’s transportation landscape in the coming months.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says Nigeria recorded N3.42 trillion trade surplus in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024.
The NBS, in its foreign trade report for Q4 2024, said Nigeria’s exports totalled N20.01 trillion while imports stood at N16.59 trillion.
A trade surplus is an economic indicator of a positive trade balance in which the exports of a nation outweigh its imports.
The bureau said total trade was N36.6 trillion in Q4, representing an increase of 2.20 percent compared to the N35.8 trillion recorded in the third quarter (Q1) of the year.
“Nigeria’s total merchandise trade stood at N36,604.83 billion in Q4, 2024. This represents an increase of 68.32% compared to the value (N21,747.40) recorded in the corresponding period of 2023 and a rise of 2.20% over the value recorded in the preceding quarter (N35,818.35),” NBS said.
“In the quarter under review, exports accounted for 54.68% of total trade with a value of N20,014.33 billion, showing an increase of 57.67% rise over the value recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 (N12,693.62) and a decrease of 2.55% compared to the value recorded in Q3 2024 (N20,537.17).”
NBS further said crude oil continued to dominate exports trade in the quarter reviewed.
The statistics firm said crude oil exports stood at N13.78 trillion, representing 68.87 percent of total exports, while the value of non-crude oil exports stood at N6.23 trillion, accounting for 31.13 percent of total exports.
NBS added that non-oil products contributed N2.84 trillion or 4.20 percent of total exports.
The NBS said the Netherlands was Nigeria’s top export destination in Q4, followed by Spain, France, India, and Indonesia.
“The main export destination was The Netherlands with a value of N 2,089.96 billion or 10.44% of total exports, followed by exports to France with N1,909.76 billion or 9.54% of total exports, Spain with N1,737.68 billion or 8.68% of total export,” NBS said.
“India with N1,596.66 billion or 7.98% of total exports, and exports to Indonesia with goods valued at N1,406.77 billion representing 7.03% of total exports.
“These five countries collectively accounted for 43.67% of the value of total exports in Q4, 2024.”
In terms of imports, the bureau said China remained Nigeria’s major trading partner, with 27.80 percent (N4 61 trillion) worth of imported goods.
Others on the top five import routes were India (N1.89 trillion or 11.43 percent), Belgium (N1.38 trillion or 8.35 percent), the United States (N1.05 billion or 6.33 percent), and France ( N501 billion or 3.62 percent).
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as adviser and coordinator of the presidential livestock reforms initiative.
Bayo Onanuga, presidential adviser on information and strategy, announced the appointment in a statement issued on Friday evening.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Dr Emomotimi Agama has advocated for the need to educate and empower women to make informed decisions and create wealth in the capital market.
He made the call at an event to mark the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration organised by the commission in Abuja .
Agama said that victims of Ponzi schemes in the country were mostly women.
According to him,” women make up the commodities market. We want to make sure that we provide an avenue and a platform where they can sell their produce after producing them.
”I also want to speak about the vulnerabilities of women. Most of the Ponzi schemes that we have in Nigeria, the majority of the victims are women.
”And the reason is very simple, the woman’s heart is very empathic, all that she thinks about is how to resonate her family, help her family, and grow the provisions of her family.
”We must re-empower the women, re-educate them, and we must bring them to the fore of national recognition when it comes to the capital market.”
In the same vein, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, charged women to make their impact count through display of excellence.
The minister commended the SEC for financial literacy to the women on finance investment, saying it would help them make better investment decisions.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said that the programme would also equip them with sound financial knowledge on savings, investments, and wealth creation.
She added that it would provide access to secure financial products tailored to women’s needs and strengthen protections against financial exploitation, particularly through Ponzi schemes and fraudulent investment platforms.
In a lecture, Mrs Hafsat Rufai, the Director, Registration, Exchanges and Market Infrastructure, SEC, said that the capital market played pivotal role in economic development.
She listed some benefits of investing in the capital market to include wealth creation, dividend income, liquidity and tax benefits.
The director called on women to verify and ensure that investment companies were registered by the SEC before patronising them.
Similarly, Mrs Hansatu Adegbite, Chairperson, Association of Nigerian Business Women Network, commended SEC for the financial literacy initiative for women.
”Where poverty prevails, we need to create wealth. One place that women do not look at is the capital market. We need some of these lectures to educate more women.
”Women need to look inward to invest; you must multiply your money. It is time to arise and educate ourselves and take actions,” she said