FG targets December 3 Inauguration for northern rail projects

File photo: Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake

The Federal Government has set December 3, 2026, for the inauguration of key sections of two major railway projects in Northern Nigeria as the Bola Tinubu administration intensifies efforts to expand the country’s rail infrastructure.

The projects are the 205-kilometre Kaduna–Kano Standard Gauge Railway and the 400-kilometre Kano–Katsina–Maradi Railway, which are expected to improve transportation, boost commercial activities and strengthen regional connectivity.

According to a statement released by the spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake,
the Kaduna–Kano railway project has reached approximately 90 per cent completion, while the Kano–Katsina–Maradi project has attained 70 per cent completion.

The statement said the Kaduna–Kano project, which connects Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, is an extension of the existing Abuja–Kaduna standard gauge railway line.

It added that the administration inherited the Kano–Katsina–Maradi project at barely five per cent completion in 2023, while the Kaduna–Kano railway was less than 30 per cent completed.

The statement noted that the Kaduna–Kano railway would establish a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, providing an alternative means of transportation along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.

It said: “The projects demonstrate the administration’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s railway infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and facilitating the movement of passengers and goods across the country and beyond.”

The government also disclosed that a Federal Government inspection team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funso Adebiyi, recently assessed the progress of work on both projects on the directive of President Tinubu.

According to the statement, the team expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction work, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.

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

The statement 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.

On outstanding issues affecting the project, the statement said Tinubu had directed that all land acquisition and compensation matters within Kaduna metropolis be resolved immediately to facilitate the completion of the railway corridor from Abuja to Kano.

It added that the Kano–Katsina–Maradi railway, upon completion, would strengthen cross-border transportation and trade between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.

The statement said: “When operational, the Kaduna–Kano railway will improve passenger transportation, facilitate commercial activities and provide an alternative to road travel along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.”

It maintained that the administration remained committed to completing ongoing infrastructure projects across the country in line with its development agenda.