President Bola Tinubu says the federal government plans to complete the 284-kilometre Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Maradi rail project by 2026.

Mr Tinubu stated this on Friday in Katsina, at the inauguration of the Katsina State Agricultural Mechanisation Centre and a 24-kilometre Eastern Bypass, all established by the state government.

“The federal government plans to complete the 284 kilometre Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Maradi rail project by 2026.

“When finished, the project will ease the transportation of persons and goods, thereby relieving the pressure on our roads,” he said.

Mr Tinubu also said that the government has awarded a contract for the total rehabilitation of the Marabar Kankara-Dutsinma-Katsina Road.

“Zaria-Hunkuyi-Dabai-Kafur-Malumfashi-Dayi-Gidan mutumdaya Road has also been awarded.

“We are determined to deliver these roads on schedule,” the president vowed.

He also assured the people of the state that the federal government would complete the remaining second phase of Katsina-Kano Road.

“We have resolved the previous technical and bureaucratic challenges, work is ongoing,” Mr Tinubu said.

The president commended Gov. Dikko Radda for the giant strides in the agriculture and infrastructure development in the state.

Mr Radda thanked the federal government  for providing over 6,000 water pumping machines to irrigation farmers.

He said that the state had spent over N2 billion on the purchase of 448,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for farmers in 

2024.

Mr Radda added that the government would on Monday launch the distribution of about 400,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser  to the farmers for 2025.

He also said that the government had increased the number of extension workers from 72 to over 778.

(NAN)