The Hon. Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Alkali has assured that the first segment of the Kano-Maradi rail project will be completed by 2025.
The Minister stated this yesterday May 9, 2024, at the Kazaure rail Campsite in Jigawa State during a media chat following an inspection tour of the ongoing works on the Kano-Maradi and the Kaduna-Kano rail projects.
According to him, “I have just discussed with the contractor that we are going to segment the Kano-Maradi project by the grace of God. We are going to put Kano-Daura next year and Daura to Maradi in 2026 and Dutse to Kano in 2026” Alkali assured.
The Minister disclosed that this was his second leg of inspection since his assumption as the Minister of Transportation.
He outlined that the essence of the inspection is to have an on-the-ground assessment with his team alongside a team of engineers from the Nigeria Railway Corporation, project consultants, and contractors.
He expressed satisfaction as remarkable progress has been achieved between now and his last visit.
“We came all the way from Kano, we drove on the formation that they did, they are doing the earthwork and the culvert and this is a station where they have started preparing the rail lines and the slippers so that they will use their locomotive to convey the materials on the rail line”.
Regarding the Federal Government’s effort to facilitate trade, Alkali disclosed that he also inspected the existing narrow gauge that connects Lagos to Kano. Completion and Operationalization of this rail corridor, Alkali noted, will facilitate optimal use of the Dala Inland Dry port for movement of cargoes by rail from Lagos to Kano.
“We are going to put the freight hopefully in the next month on the narrow gauge from Lagos to Kano,” he assured.
