President Bola Tinubu
Federal Government has fixed December 3, 2026, for the inauguration of completed sections of two major railway projects in Northern Nigeria, with the Kaduna–Kano Standard Gauge Railway now about 90 per cent complete and the Kano–Katsina–Maradi line at 70 per cent completion.
The projects, covering 205 kilometres and 400 kilometres respectively, are expected to boost commercial activities, improve passenger transportation and strengthen regional and cross-border connectivity. The sections scheduled for inauguration are the 190-kilometre Jaji–Kano stretch of the Kaduna–Kano railway and the 250-kilometre Dawanu–Kano–Kazaure–Daura–Katsina section of the Kano–Maradi railway.
According to a statement made available to Newsmen byby the spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, the Kaduna–Kano project, which connects Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, is an extension of the existing Abuja–Kaduna standard gauge railway. The statement noted that the Federal Government 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.
It said the Kaduna–Kano line 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. The government also disclosed that an inspection team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funso Adebiyi, recently assessed progress on both projects following a directive by President Bola Tinubu.
The team 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 conducted a train test run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano to assess the completed tracks and passenger comfort.
The statement further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed the immediate resolution of outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis 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 government maintained that the projects reflected the administration’s commitment to expanding railway infrastructure, facilitating the movement of passengers and goods, and completing major infrastructure projects across the country.
