Tinubu Targets December 3 Inauguration for Kaduna-Kano Rail Project as Construction Hits 90%

Tinubu Targets December 3 Inauguration for Kaduna-Kano Rail Project as Construction Hits 90%

 

The Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project has also reached 70 per cent completion, according to the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified efforts to complete major railway projects in Northern Nigeria, with the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway scheduled for inauguration on December 3, 2026.

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, stating that the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project had attained approximately 90 per cent completion.

 

The council also announced that the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project, which extends towards the Niger Republic, had reached 70 per cent completion.

 

According to the statement, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi project was barely five per cent complete when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while the Kaduna-Kano railway had achieved less than 30 per cent completion.

 

The projects, described as part of the administration’s major infrastructure initiatives, are expected to improve transportation, strengthen regional connectivity and facilitate the movement of passengers and goods across Northern Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

The Kaduna-Kano railway is an extension of the existing Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge Railway and is expected to establish a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, linking major commercial centres in the region.

 

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

 

The delegation reportedly expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.

 

As part of the inspection, officials undertook a test-run journey by train 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 remaining railway corridor linking Abuja and Kano.

 

It further disclosed that the 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano railway, alongside the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi project, was scheduled for inauguration on December 3, 2026.

 

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

 

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

 

The APC Presidential Campaign Council said the projects reflected Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that ongoing infrastructure developments across the country were completed as scheduled.

 

 

Tinubu Targets December 3 Inauguration for Kaduna-Kano Rail Project as Construction Hits 90%