By Stella Enenche, Abuja
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that the first segment of the 387km Kano-Maradi rail project would be completed by 2025.
Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali gave the assurance
in Jigawa State, according to a statement made available on Friday by Muhammad Zakari, on behalf of Director Press and Public Relations.
Alkali who disclosed it was his second leg of inspection since assumption as the Minister of Transportation, stressed that the essence of the inspection was 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 with the level of work, saying that remarkable progress has been made between now and the last visit.
“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.
“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.
He noted that the completion and operationalization of the rail corridor would facilitate optimal use of the Dala Inland Dry 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.
