The Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway has reached 90 per cent completion and is scheduled for inauguration on December 3, 2026, as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to deliver major rail projects in Northern Nigeria.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council disclosed this on Sunday, saying the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway had progressed from less than 30 per cent completion when President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
The council also said the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project had attained 70 per cent completion, up from about five per cent at the beginning of the Tinubu administration.
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In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council said the projects would improve regional connectivity, facilitate passenger and freight movement, and boost commercial activities.
The Kaduna-Kano railway, an extension of the Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge Railway, is expected to provide a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, linking major commercial centres in the North.
The council said a Federal Government inspection team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funso Adebiyi, had recently assessed both projects on the directive of Tinubu.
Adebiyi reportedly expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.
The inspection team also conducted a test-run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano, assessing the completed track infrastructure and passenger comfort.
The council said Tinubu had directed the immediate resolution of outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis to facilitate the completion of the railway corridor linking Abuja and Kano.
It added that the 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.
When operational, the Kaduna-Kano railway is expected to provide an alternative to road transport along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.
The Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway, on the other hand, is expected to strengthen cross-border transportation and trade between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council said the projects reflected the Tinubu administration’s commitment to completing infrastructure projects within their scheduled timelines.
It added that the rail developments formed part of broader efforts to stimulate economic activities and improve transportation connectivity across the country.
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