Transportation Minister Said Alkali said in an interview on Friday in Abuja that the Kano-Daura rail project will be completed by 2025.

According to the minister, the project is one of the ministry’s priority projects and must be actualised within the stipulated time.

He said the project, when completed, would enable the transportation of raw materials over long distances and moving passengers and freight.

The minister said the project would also add value in terms of development to the area.

“I just discussed with the contractor that, by God’s grace, we are going to segment the project. We will complete Kano-Daura next year (2025).

“Daura to Maradi will be ready in 2026, and Dutse to Kano will also be ready in 2026,” he said.

In a related development, Mr Alkali had also assured Nigerians that freight services on the Lagos-Kano narrow gauge project would commence in June.

Mr Alkali gave the assurance in Kano on Thursday when he led a team on an inspection tour of the Kano-Maradi rail corridor project.

According to him, the freight services that would commence in June would boost GDP, preserve the lifespan of the nation’s highways, and save more people from auto crashes on the road.

Mr Alkali commended the efforts of the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), handling the project for the level of work done so far.

The immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Kano-Maradi standard gauge railway line.

The project spans about 387 km from Kano to Daura to Maradi and a branch line from Kano to Dutse.

The breakdown shows first, a 287km stretch of track will connect three federal states in Northern Nigeria, namely Kano, Jigawa and Katsina- significant trade hubs- and the Republic of Niger (Maradi).

Another 93 km branch line will connect the capital of Jigawa’s State (Dutse) to Kano.

The rail line will cover 12 stations: Dutse, Gaya, Wudil Kano, Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Shargale, Marshi, Katsina, Jibia, and Maradi in the Southern Niger Republic. 

(NAN)