President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to inaugurate the completed 190-kilometre section of the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway on December 3, 2026, as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to complete major railway projects in Northern Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that Dele Alake, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, November 8.
The 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project has reached approximately 90 per cent completion, while the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project is 70 per cent complete.
Alake said Kaduna-Kano railway, an extension of the existing Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line, would establish a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano.
He explained that the connection would strengthen transportation links across major commercial centres in Northern Nigeria and facilitate the movement of passengers and goods.
The APC spokesperson said a Federal Government inspection team led by Funso Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, recently assessed both projects on the directive of the President.
The team reportedly expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.
The inspection also included a test-run train journey from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano to assess the completed track infrastructure and passenger comfort.
Alake added that Tinubu had directed the immediate resolution of outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis to facilitate the completion of the entire Abuja-Kano railway corridor.
He further disclosed that the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi railway project would also be inaugurated on December 3.
According to him, Kaduna-Kano railway would provide an alternative to road transportation along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors when fully operational.
Similarly, Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway is expected to strengthen cross-border transportation and trade between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.
Alake said Federal Government remained committed to delivering ongoing infrastructure projects across the country as scheduled.
