Kaduna Builds Airport-Style Transport Terminal, Targets 20,000 Jobs

KADUNA — The Kaduna State Government has said its ongoing ultra-modern Eastern Transport Terminal, designed to airport standards, will transform transportation, improve security and create thousands of jobs when completed.

The Acting General Manager of Kaduna Line and Acting Director General of the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KADSTRA), Inuwa Ibrahim, disclosed this during an inspection of the project in Millennium City, Kaduna.

According to Ibrahim, the terminal is being developed on a 20-hectare site by CGC Nigeria Ltd. and is designed to offer modern passenger services comparable to international airport facilities.

He said the project will feature ticketing halls, passenger waiting lounges, multiple loading terminals, hotels, restaurants, compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations and other transport infrastructure aimed at enhancing passenger comfort, safety and operational efficiency.

Ibrahim described the facility as one of the largest ultra-modern transport terminals in Sub-Saharan West Africa, adding that construction, which began about four months ago, has recorded significant progress despite the rainy season.

He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work delivered by the contractor and said the project is expected to be completed within the next three months for inauguration by Governor Uba Sani.

Project Manager of CGC Nigeria Ltd., Ji Zhongyin, said major structural works have been completed, with ongoing work focusing on block construction, drainage systems, roads and external infrastructure.

He added that the remaining phase will involve interior finishing, decoration and installation of lifts, escalators and safety equipment, expressing confidence that the project could be delivered ahead of its official completion date without compromising quality.

Speaking during a media tour of transport infrastructure projects across the state, Ibrahim said the Uba Sani administration is implementing wide-ranging reforms to modernise Kaduna’s transport system through strategic infrastructure development.

He noted that the government had identified and harmonised 51 illegal motor parks along the 24-kilometre Kawo-Command Junction corridor to address security concerns and improve transport regulation.

According to him, the government reopened the Mando Motor Park before commencing the construction of new centralised transport terminals across the state.

He said the Kakuri Southern Terminal, inaugurated in December 2025, is about 90 per cent complete and will accommodate transport unions and operators within a single facility equipped with terminals, shops, hotels, a fire safety centre, filling station and vehicle maintenance centre.

Ibrahim added that the Soba Motor Park project has reached about 85 per cent completion and is expected to facilitate the relocation of the existing Kawo Motor Park to reduce congestion and improve security in Kaduna metropolis.

He explained that security assessments linked criminal activities around the old Kawo Motor Park to several incidents, including the killing of a military officer, noting that the relocation plan has received the support of transport unions and other stakeholders.

On the Eastern Terminal, Ibrahim said the facility aligns with the Federal Government’s Eastern Bypass project, which is intended to divert heavy vehicular traffic away from Kaduna city centre.

He disclosed that the terminal is projected to handle about 5,000 vehicles daily and generate approximately 15,000 direct and indirect jobs, while the state’s three major transport terminal projects are expected to create more than 20,000 employment opportunities.

He further revealed that the Kaduna State Government is also developing the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) system, the Kaduna Light Rail project and plans to introduce water transportation on River Kaduna as part of efforts to establish an integrated multimodal transport network.

According to Ibrahim, the initiatives are aimed at positioning Kaduna as a modern transport hub that meets international standards.