By Faridat Salifu
The federal government says rail development in Northern Nigeria is gaining momentum under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with multiple stalled and slow-moving projects now recording significant progress.
At a citizens’ engagement event hosted by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna on Wednesday, Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, said several key rail corridors previously neglected or underfunded had been revived and fast-tracked as part of efforts to deepen regional integration and improve logistics.
He disclosed that the Kaduna-Kano standard gauge rail project, which stood at only 15 percent completion before Tinubu assumed office, has now reached 53 percent and is on course for completion in 2026.
Similarly, the Kano-Maradi railway line—crucial for linking Nigeria with Niger Republic—has advanced from 5 percent to 61 percent, signaling restored momentum and renewed investor confidence.
Alkali also confirmed that portions of the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri rail corridor, which traverses the North-East and South-East, are undergoing active rehabilitation.
According to him, the government has begun repairs on the old Lagos-Kano narrow gauge route to enable more efficient freight movement and operationalise inland dry ports, especially in Kaduna and Kano.
He added that the Institute of Transport Technology in Zaria is now offering hands-on training for the conversion of vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG), part of the administration’s strategy to reduce transport costs post-subsidy.
Alkali attributed the turnaround to President Tinubu’s direct diplomatic interventions, particularly with China, which helped unblock stalled financing and ensured contractors returned to work.
He stressed that rail investments in the North are not isolated but part of a broader push to restore trust in national infrastructure and strengthen Nigeria’s logistics and mobility capacity.
Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, who also spoke at the session, highlighted the integration of road and rail systems as vital to unlocking economic corridors such as the Sokoto-Zaria axis, where multiple transport and bridge projects are underway.
The ministers affirmed that transportation is central to Tinubu’s agenda of national connectivity, with the North poised to benefit from increased access, trade facilitation, and mobility improvements once the projects are completed.
