TRANSPORT IS LIFE: KANO CAN NOT BREATHE WITHOUT IT

 TRANSPORT IS LIFE: KANO CAN NOT BREATHE WITHOUT IT

THE URGENT CALL TO RESCUE A CITY’S FUTURE

By Tijjani Sarki

Good Governance Advocate & Public Policy Analyst

Kano’s transport system is in crisis not because of a lack of vision, planning, or support, but because of a consistent failure to implement. Over the past decade, more than 20 detailed technical studies, strategic reports, and development frameworks have been produced for Kano’s transport sector including the most recent and comprehensive 2024 Transport Sector Dialogue Report.

These documents represent more than just paper. They provide clear, actionable solutions from regulatory reform to climate-conscious transit planning  ready for deployment.

With the right leadership and technical expertise, Kano is not just ready to bounce back, it is positioned to experience unprecedented rapid growth, becoming a model city not just for Northern Nigeria, but for the entire nation.

Yet, one core issue continues to cripple progress.

No amount of planning can succeed without professionals with sector-specific expertise.

TRANSPORT IS NOT JUST MOVEMENT, IT IS SURVIVAL.

Transport is far more than a means of getting from point A to point B, it is the lifeblood of any functioning city. It connects people to jobs, markets, schools, hospitals, and services. Without it, cities suffocate and right now, Kano is gasping for air.

A well-functioning transport system brings:

   i. Security through reduced road chaos and effective traffic regulation.

   ii. Jobs & Economic Growth through logistics, trade access, and formalized mobility services

   iii. Climate Action by lowering carbon emissions via planned, sustainable mobility systems.

   iv. Urban Resilience  by integrating transport with infrastructure, land use, and population growth.

   v. These are not theoretical benefits. They were carefully outlined in the dozens of technical reports already developed. Their failure to materialize is not due to lack of insight  but a lack of implementation.

A DECADE OF WORK AND THE BLUEPRINTS ALREADY EXIST.

Kano had a golden opportunity under the leadership of the current Governor, who as Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transport, oversaw the coordination of a dedicated unit  the Kano Urban Transport Project Office, led by a Director, which coordinated world-class international support.

With technical and financial backing from the World Bank, Adam Smith International, and NIAF, the following studies and frameworks were developed:

   i. Preliminary Strategic Transport Master Plan

   ii. Kano Travel Demand Surveys.

   iii. Bus Route Mapping Studies.

   iv. Route Concept Design for BRT

   v. Prefeasibility Studies for Transport Hubs

   vi. Organizational Structure for KAROTA.

   vi. Legal Drafts for the Kano Transport Planning Authority

   vii. Fast Corridor Viability Studies.

   iix. Roadmap for Bus Mass Transit in Kano.

   ix. Socio-Economic Impact Study on the Ban of Achaba (Motorcycle Taxis).

   x. Procurement Guidelines for Private Sector Participation.

   xi. Institutional & Transport Planning Support.

These reports centered around four critical pillars of sustainable transport transformation:

1. Institutional Reforms

2. Policy Development

3. Transport Planning & Implementation Strategy

4. Capacity Development.

Lagos and Kano were both supported by these same multilateral partners. Today, Lagos is reaping the benefits. Why isn’t Kano?

THE COST OF FAILURE IS BEING PAID DAILY

The consequences of non-implementation are visible across Kano:

   i. Chaotic, unsafe, and informal transport operations dominate the roads.

   ii. Fuel waste and traffic congestion drain economic productivity.

   iii. Carbon emissions continue to rise, with no low-emission transport strategy in place.

   iv. Youth unemployment remains high, even as thousands of transport-related jobs remain undeveloped.

   v. Investor confidence declines, discouraged by infrastructural disorder.

   vi. Kano continues to fall behind in the global green and mobility transition.

THE MISSING LINK: EXPERTISE POLITICAL WILL.

The core issue isn’t that plans don’t exist, it’s that qualified professionals are not in place to translate those plans into reality. Implementation requires more than political appointments,it requires technical know-how and sectoral discipline.

Take the following examples:

  I. KAROTA’s organizational reform plan exists  but the agency remains inefficient and poorly managed, currently staffed by untrained and reckless personnel lacking professional competence.

  II. The completed BRT corridor designs remain shelved  awaiting both political will and expert oversight for deployment.

  III. The Kano state transport Authority ( Kano Line)a historic pilot project for Northern Nigeria, is now a shell of its vision crippled by poor management and an absence of operational standards.

  IV. Until Kano invests in transport professionals urban planners, mobility engineers, policy analysts, and infrastructure economists, it will remain stuck in neutral.

LAGOS AND KADUNA: SAME SUPPORT, DIFFERENT OUTCOMES

It is critical to remember Kano, Lagos, and Kaduna all received comparable support from global development institutions.

Yet today:

Lagos has built an integrated, multimodal transport system combining BRT, rail, and water transport.

Kaduna, once far behind, has overtaken Kano thanks to technical leadership and political courage.

They acted on their reports. They hired the right people. They followed through.

WHAT MUST BE DONE NOW;

Kano does not need to start over. It needs to act on the work already done. The roadmap is clear.

While I wholeheartedly commend and recognize the  commitment of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, for his remarkable strides in infrastructure development particularly the construction and renovation of critical road networks and linkages, which form the backbone of our transport sector, I  believe there remains room for further strategic enhancement.

In the spirit of constructive engagement and in alignment with the broader vision outlined during the 2024 Transport Sector Dialogue, I respectfully wish to put forward the following suggestions, which I am confident may align with the recommendations contained in the final report.

Immediate Steps:

   1.  Reviewed, consolidated, and aligned over 23 technical expertise reports to commence execution.

  2.Unveil or Pass enabling legislation to establish the Kano Transport Sector Framework.

   3.  Recruit and train qualified professionals across all transport  institutions

   4. Implement the BRT system using completed corridor and concept designs.

   5.  Activate PPP models using developed procurement guidelines.

  6.  Restructure KAROTA based on its proposed organizational reform.

  7.  Launch a public transport education campaign to build community buy-in .

  8.Commit to a carbon emission reduction strategy via low-emission mass transit.

A FINAL CALL TO LEADERSHIP: KANO CAN STILL LEAD.

Kano is not destined to remain behind. With proper implementation of the existing frameworks  including the 2024 Transport Sector Dialogue Report, the city can become a beacon of transport reform and urban renewal.

 Kano will bounce back  and not just bounce back, but grow faster than ever before, creating jobs, attracting investments, reducing emissions, and reshaping the socio-economic landscape of Northern Nigeria.

But that future will only be realized if the government seizes this moment and replaces excuses with expertise.

ACT NOW  THE FUTURE WILL NOT WAIT.

Sarki writes from Zawaciki, Kano