Kano-Maradi Rail Will Be Ready 2027 – Minister

*Says record shows 60% increase in execution

*Releases progress report of projects

By MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos

The Kaduna-Kano and Kano-Maradi ongoing railway projects which recorded work progress of five to 15 per cent at the inception of President Bola Tinubu’s administration have now reached over 50 and 60 per cents respectively.

Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, stated this while delivering a speech through his representative at the year 2025 summit organized by Transportation Correspondents Association of Nigeria (TCAN) in Lagos on Wednesday 24th September, 2025.

He emphasized that the Port Harcourt to Aba segment of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri ongoing rail modernization project has been completed and put to use.

“The Kaduna-Kano and Kano-Maradi ongoing rail projects recorded appreciable execution progress from 5% to 15% at the inception of this administration to over 50% and 60% respectively,” the minister said, adding: “At the speed at which it is going, the Kano-Maradi rail project will reach Katsina by December 2025 and ready for completion by March 2027.”

Alkali said that the ongoing rail modernization project from Lagos-Kano, the rehabilitated old narrow gauge from Lagos to Kano and the ongoing rehabilitation of the old narrow gauge from Port Harcourt-Maidugri with many more new projects like the High Speed Rail from Lagos to Abuja, Lagos to Kano and Port Harcourt to Abuja are sufficient indicators of the present administration’s concern for the development of the transport sector in Nigeria.

He said, “It is also joyful to share the fantastic development of recent approval by the Federal Executive Council for the construction of one modern Bus Terminal in Abeokuta (South-West), Onitsha (South-East), Warri (South-South), Kano (North-West), Lokoja (North-Central) and Gombe (North-East).”

The transportation minister expressed confidence that the modern bus terminals will address the challenges of operational efficiencies, intra-city traffic congestion, unregulated motor parks and safety hazards affecting passengers and transport operators across the country.

He told participants at the TCAN summit that Nigeria’s transport sector requires both infrastructure and manpower capacity development for optimal performance.

He explained that it is in recognition of infrastructure and manpower development need that Federal University of Transportation in Daura and the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology in Zaria were established.

“The two institutions”, Alkali announced, “will continue to support the sector through training, research, scientific innovations in all fields of transportation, collaborations with sister institutions across the world to facilitate exchange of knowledge, transfer of technology and capacity building of students as well as relevant stakeholders to make Nigerian transportation in tune with global best practices.”

The minister pointed out that it is in furtherance of that course that the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria trained over 6,000 transport professionals in the year 2024, and established 12 Compressed Natural Gas Conversion Centres to facilitate the realization of Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for the betterment of Nigerians under the deregulated oil regime.

According to him, it is in the spirit of ensuring cost effectiveness and clear environment to conform with climate change regime that a Dual Fuel Locomotive Technology was flagged off in September 2024 on Abuja-Kaduna railway route with future arrangements to utilize similar technology in other corridors across the country.

Alkali informed the audience of the recent approval of the National Land Transport Policy by the Federal Executive Council “after decades of struggle in futility.”

He disclosed that the National Land Transport Policy will serve as a veritable tool of facilitating developments in the land transport subsector.

The theme of the TCAN summit is “Driving the Transport Logistics Value Chains for Economic Growth.”