The Nigerian government says work on the 387km Kano–Maradi railway line has reached 60 per cent completion, with the project now extended to Dutse in Jigawa State.
Transport Minister Said Alkali, addressing delegates at the International Railway Conference in Abuja on Monday, said the project had made rapid progress since the start of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “The line has advanced from five per cent to 60 per cent. The Kaduna–Kano rail modernisation has also moved from 15 per cent to 53 per cent,” he noted.
Alkali said the Kaduna–Kano route would be ready by December 2026, while the Kano–Maradi line is expected to reach Katsina by the end of 2025 and be fully completed by March 2027. He added that the old Lagos–Kano narrow gauge was being rehabilitated to transport freight from ports to the Dala Inland Dry Port.
Beyond rail, Alkali confirmed the Federal Executive Council had approved new “One-Bus Terminals” in six cities—Abeokuta, Onitsha, Warri, Lokoja, Kano and Gombe—aimed at improving passenger safety and welfare nationwide.
He highlighted other transport priorities, including the rollout of dual-fuel locomotives on the Abuja–Kaduna corridor and federal backing for state light rail projects in Kaduna, Kano and Ogun. “Transportation has been given special priority as the gateway to the economy,” the minister said.
Industry leaders expressed optimism. De-Sadel Consortium chief executive Samuel Uko said Nigeria was on track to develop the world’s second-largest high-speed rail network, with potential to create two million jobs. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said the railway expansion would attract foreign capital and lay the foundation for future land transport development.
