Abstract:
This paper examines the evolution, growth, and impact of tricycle-based urban commercial transport operations in Katsina State, 2001-2023. The study aims to analyze how the introduction and expansion of tricycles transformed urban mobility, employment patterns, and the structure of intra-urban transport in the State. The research is driven by the problem of understanding the long-term socio-economic and operational consequences of policy-driven transport interventions, particularly the introduction of tricycles as poverty-alleviation tools, and how these interventions reshaped existing urban transport systems. The emergence of tricycle transport in Katsina State began in 2001 under the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), introduced during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, which distributed “Keke NAPEP” tricycles nationwide to reduce unemployment and improve intra-urban mobility. This was expanded through the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) initiated by Goodluck Jonathan in 2012, and through additional tricycle loan schemes implemented by the administration of Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema. Anchored within the theoretical framework of urban transport transition and informal economy theory, the study interprets tricycle operations as a state-facilitated informal transport system that expanded access to mobility while simultaneously restructuring the urban transport market. Using historical methodology, the study draws on both primary and secondary sources, including oral interviews, government documents, and archival materials, to trace the operational dynamics of the sector across major urban centres such as Katsina, Funtua, Daura, Malumfashi, Dutsin-Ma, and Mashi. Findings reveal that the proliferation of tricycles generated significant employment opportunities for riders, mechanics, vulcanizers, spare-parts dealers, and vehicle wash operators, while also improving urban mobility and reducing transport shortages. However, the study also finds that the expansion of tricycle operations contributed to the decline and eventual collapse of car taxi services, intensified competition with motorcycle transport, and created new challenges including security concerns and the emergence of social vices. Overall, the study concludes that the introduction of tricycles fundamentally transformed the structure, accessibility, and socio-economic dynamics of urban commercial transport in Katsina State.
Keywords: Hausaland, Trans-Saharan trade, North Africa, Ajami manuscript, Tsangaya
DOI: 10.36349/sokotojh.2026.v14i01.012
author/Yusuf Abdullahi & Aminu Lawal
journal/Sokoto JH | Vol. 14, Issue 1 | Dec. 2026
