Kaduna-Kano rail reaches 90% completion ahead of Tinubu’s inauguration

The Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway has reached 90 per cent completion, with President Bola Tinubu scheduled to inaugurate the project on December 3, 2026, according to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.

The 203-kilometre railway project, which links Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, is expected to provide a continuous rail connection with the existing Abuja-Kaduna line, improving passenger and freight transportation across major commercial centres in Northern Nigeria.

The APC PCC spokesperson and Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, disclosed the completion rate in a statement on Sunday, adding that the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project had also reached 70 per cent completion.

Alake said the Kaduna-Kano project was below 30 per cent completion when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while the Kano-Katsina-Maradi project was barely five per cent complete.

He described the progress as evidence of the administration’s commitment to expanding railway infrastructure and improving regional connectivity.

According to the statement, a Federal Government inspection team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, recently assessed the projects on the President’s directive.

The inspection covered the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.

Police repel Kaduna rustlers, recover 39 stolen cows

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

Alake said Tinubu had directed that outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis be resolved immediately to facilitate completion of the railway corridor.

He disclosed that the 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano project and the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi project were expected to be inaugurated on December 3.

The Kaduna-Kano railway is expected to boost passenger transportation, stimulate commercial activities and provide an alternative to road travel along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest economic corridors.

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

The APC PCC said the Tinubu administration remained committed to completing ongoing infrastructure projects, with railway development forming a key component of its economic agenda.