The Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway is scheduled for inauguration on December 3, 2026, as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to complete major railway projects in Northern Nigeria.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake.
According to the statement, 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 completed.
The council said the projects were below 30 per cent and five per cent completion, respectively, when President Bola Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
It added that the projects were aimed at improving regional connectivity, facilitating the movement of passengers and goods, and expanding Nigeria’s railway infrastructure.
The Kaduna-Kano railway, an extension of the existing Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line, is expected to connect Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, strengthening transportation links across major commercial centres in the North.
The statement said the projects were recently inspected by a Federal Government team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, following a directive by Tinubu.
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 train test run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano to assess the completed track infrastructure and passenger comfort.
Alake said Tinubu had directed that outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis be resolved immediately to facilitate the completion of the railway corridor from Abuja to Kano.
The statement added that the 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano project and the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi railway would be inaugurated on December 3.
When operational, the Kaduna-Kano railway is expected to improve passenger transportation, boost commercial activities and provide an alternative to road travel along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.
Similarly, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway is expected to strengthen cross-border transportation and trade between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council said the Tinubu administration remained committed to delivering ongoing infrastructure projects across the country as scheduled.
