By Stephen Simon
The Kaduna State Government says it has regained control of more than 500,000 hectares of land previously occupied or controlled by bandits across the state.
The State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, made the disclosure on Sunday at a gala dinner hosted by his ministry for members of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The journalists were in Kaduna for their 2026 retreat, themed “2027 General Elections: Navigating Legal, Security and Ethical Challenges in the Media.”
According to Maiyaki, the recovery of the vast expanse of farmland has been made possible by the administration’s renewed focus on security under Governor Uba Sani.
He explained that insecurity had previously prevented farmers in several communities from accessing their farmlands, thereby affecting agricultural activities and food production.
The commissioner also noted that improved security had restored confidence among residents and travellers, particularly along the Kaduna-Abuja route, which was once severely affected by bandit attacks.
He said the government would continue to prioritise security, describing it as essential to achieving sustainable economic and social development.
On agriculture, Maiyaki disclosed that the state distributed 500 trucks of fertiliser free of charge to more than 150,000 farmers during the 2026 farming season as part of efforts to boost food production.
He added that the government distributed 400 trucks of fertiliser in 2024 and another 500 trucks in 2025.
The commissioner further highlighted the administration’s achievements in the education sector, saying the number of out-of-school children in the state had dropped significantly from about 550,000 to 187,000.
He also recalled that the state government introduced 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses in July 2025 to provide affordable transportation for students and civil servants.
Maiyaki said the buses had transported at least 3.5 million passengers since their introduction, helping residents save millions of naira in transportation costs.
He added that the Nigeria Labour Congress had reported that workers were saving about 40 per cent of their income as a result of the cheaper transportation scheme.
The Chairman of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel, Murtala Adewale, expressed appreciation to the Kaduna State Government for hosting the journalists and organising the gala night as part of their retreat.
