From Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
Governor Uba Sani has commissioned the longest road built in the past two decades, cutting across three local governments and linking more than 76 farming communities in Kaduna State.
He said the road, which stretches from Igabi to Kajuru and Chikun local governments, includes a 130-meter bridge over the River Kaduna that serves several rural communities.
The Governor said the 35-kilometer asphaltic road linking Gadan Gayan through Gwaraji to Kujama Junction will transform mobility, agriculture, and rural economies in those communities.
Speaking at the commissioning on Monday, he described the project as a historic milestone in the state’s infrastructure development, adding that it reflects his administration’s inclusive and people-centered development model.
Governor Uba Sani recalled that when the project was flagged off in January 2024, his administration had pledged to deliver a durable and efficient transport corridor.
The Governor maintained that “through disciplined planning, professional execution, and collective commitment, that promise has been fulfilled.”
He explained that the road provides an alternative route that reduces reliance on the often-congested Kaduna metropolis, thereby cutting travel time and transportation costs for commuters and traders.
“Emergency services will be able to respond faster, schoolchildren will reach their classrooms with greater ease, and families will enjoy improved access to healthcare, markets, and social services,” he noted.
The Governor also emphasized the road’s agricultural importance, stressing that agriculture remains the leading contributor to Kaduna State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
“By traversing agriculturally productive rural communities across three local government areas, this road directly links farms to markets, aggregation centers, processing facilities, and urban consumption hubs,” he said, adding that it would reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen agricultural value chains.”
Governor Uba Sani said early signs of economic revival are already visible along the corridor, with new filling stations, markets, and small businesses emerging. “This is the quiet but powerful multiplier effect of well-planned infrastructure,” he remarked.
The Governor said the project also addresses long-standing inequities in public investment, especially in Kajuru Local Government Area, one of the 12 Area Councils that had not benefited from a road project for more than 12 years.
“This prolonged neglect constrained economic activity, and that reality was unacceptable,” he said, pledging that his administration is “reversing decades of under-investment.”
The Governor explained that the commissioned road is part of a broader program comprising 140 road projects totaling 1,335 kilometers across Kaduna State.
Governor Uba Sani said that 66 of the roads his administration initiated have already been completed, while others are between 60 and 75 percent complete.
