…Kano-Katsina-Maradi project reaches 70% completion

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has said the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway will be inaugurated on December 3, 2026, as the Federal Government accelerates the completion of major railway projects in Northern Nigeria.

The council also disclosed that the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project had reached approximately 90 per cent completion, while the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project had attained 70 per cent completion.

In a statement on Sunday, signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council said the projects demonstrated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to expanding railway infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and facilitating the movement of passengers and goods.

It said the Kano-Katsina-Maradi project was barely five per cent complete when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while the Kaduna-Kano railway was less than 30 per cent complete.

According to the statement, the Kaduna-Kano railway, an extension of the existing Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line, will establish a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, linking major commercial centres in Northern Nigeria.

The council said the two projects were recently inspected on the directive of the President by a Federal Government delegation led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funso Adebiyi.

It said Adebiyi expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction work, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.

The inspection also included a train test run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano to assess the completed track infrastructure and passenger comfort.

The statement added that Tinubu had directed the immediate resolution of outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis to facilitate the completion of the railway corridor from Abuja to Kano.

It further disclosed that the completed 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano railway and the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi project would be inaugurated on December 3, 2026.

When fully operational, the Kaduna-Kano railway is expected to improve passenger transportation, facilitate commercial activities and provide an alternative to road travel along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.

Similarly, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway is expected to strengthen cross-border transportation and trade between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.

The council reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to completing ongoing infrastructure projects across the country in line with its development agenda.

Kaduna-Kano rail line ready for December 3 inauguration — APC

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