The Federal Government has announced that the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway will be inaugurated on December 3, 2026, as President Bola Tinubu speeds up the completion of major railway projects in Northern Nigeria.
Spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, who disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday, said the 203-kilometre Kaduna, Zaria and Kano railway, one of the administration’s legacy projects, has reached about 90 percent completion. The 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway has attained 70 percent completion.
According to the statement, when President Tinubu assumed office in 2023, the Kano, Katsina and Maradi rail project stood at barely 5 percent, while the Kaduna Kano line was at less than 30 percent completion.
The projects, it said, demonstrate the administration’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s railway infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and easing the movement of passengers and goods across the country and beyond.
The Kaduna Kano railway, an extension of the existing Abuja Kaduna standard gauge line, will create a continuous rail link between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, strengthening transport ties across major commercial centres in the North.
The two projects were recently inspected on the directive of the President by a Federal Government team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funso Adebiyi.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction work, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.
The inspection included a train test run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano, which allowed officials to assess the completed track and passenger comfort.
The President has also directed that all outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis be resolved immediately, so that the rail corridor from Abuja to Kano can be completed.
The completed 190-kilometre Jaji to Kano section, out of the entire 205-kilometre Kaduna Kano stretch, will be inaugurated by December 3, 2026. The 250-kilometre Dawanu, Kano, Kazaure, Daura and Katsina section of the Kano Maradi project will also be inaugurated on the same date.
When operational, the Kaduna Kano railway will improve passenger transportation, boost commercial activities and offer an alternative to road travel along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.
The Kano, Katsina and Maradi railway, now 70 percent complete, is expected to strengthen cross-border transport and trade between Nigeria and the neighbouring Niger Republic.
The statement added that in line with President Tinubu’s agenda, all ongoing infrastructure projects will be delivered in every part of the country as scheduled.
