Tinubu Fast-Tracks Kaduna-Kano, Kano-Maradi Rail Projects For December Inauguration

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to complete major railway projects across Kaduna, Kano and Katsina states, with key sections of the projects scheduled for inauguration on December 3, 2026.

The projects, expected to improve transportation and economic activities across Northern Nigeria, will also strengthen rail connectivity between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and major commercial centres in the region.

According to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project has reached 70 per cent completion, compared with five per cent recorded when President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

The council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, said the projects demonstrated the administration’s commitment to expanding railway infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and facilitating the movement of passengers and goods.

The Kaduna-Kano railway line is expected to extend the existing Abuja-Kaduna standard-gauge railway, creating a continuous rail connection linking Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano.

The development is expected to provide commuters with a safer and more reliable alternative to road transportation while stimulating commercial activities along the corridor.

Similarly, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project is expected to strengthen cross-border trade between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.

The APC-PCC attributed the accelerated pace of construction to President Tinubu’s recent directive for a comprehensive assessment of the projects.

A Federal Government delegation led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, recently inspected the railway corridors and conducted a test-run journey from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano.

The delegation reportedly expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction, particularly the railway alignment, drainage systems, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.

President Tinubu also directed the immediate resolution of outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis to facilitate the timely completion of the Abuja-Kano rail corridor.

Under the current schedule, the 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano railway and the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi project are expected to be inaugurated on December 3.

The council reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to completing ongoing infrastructure projects across the country in line with its national development agenda.

Meanwhile, the Forum of Former Commissioners and Special Advisers in the North has declared support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying the move would promote national unity and political stability.

The forum, through its National Coordinator, Gambo Garamba Jada, and National Secretary, Richard Tersoo Mnenga, said its endorsement was informed by the need to sustain political cooperation between Northern and Southwestern Nigeria.

The group maintained that supporting Tinubu for a second term would allow the North to reciprocate the political support it had received from the Southwest over the years, with the expectation that power would return to the region in 2031.

It cited historical political alliances between leaders from both regions, including the First Republic coalition between the Northern People’s Congress and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, as well as subsequent political arrangements during the Second and Third Republics.

The forum also highlighted Tinubu’s role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the emergence of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 as reasons the North should support his re-election.

It expressed confidence that another four years under Tinubu would provide an opportunity to address some of the economic and infrastructural challenges confronting Northern Nigeria.

The group specifically pointed to the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that the additional revenue accruing to state governments could be channelled into infrastructure development and other pressing needs across the region.

Among the prominent Northern political figures identified by the forum as supporters of Tinubu’s re-election project are former Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko; former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau; former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari; former Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura; and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

Others include Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and former Defence Minister, Mohammed Abubakar.