Minister: Kano-Kaduna rail ready in 18 months

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, has said the ongoing Kano-Kaduna standard gauge rail project by the Federal Government would be completed and ready for use 18 months from now.

Sambo, who spoke while inspecting the rail project in Yako, Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State, said the project was a priority that would add value to the entire country, not just the North-West region.

”We are trying our best to make the project a success.

“Agricultural produce are produced in the North and transported to the South while goods that are imported into the country come from seaport,” the minister said.

Sambo added that the two major challenges faced by the Kano-Kaduna rail project were safety of the workers and encroachment of land.

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He said the ministry would engage security agencies to design templates for security of the existing sites and new ones to ensure safety of workers on the site.

On the issue of encroachment, he said: “We will meet with Kano State Government to find solution to it.”

On his part, the Executive Director of the construction company, Filippo Macchioni, attributed the slow pace of their work to adjustment from one single track to a double track.

He said: “We had an agreement with the ministry to finish the project in 36 months, now it has now been changed to 18 months.”

The Star