KADUNA-KANO, KANO-MARADI RAILWAYS: Buhari-Initiated Projects Set for Completion Under Tinubu
By KEMI KASUMU and OUR REPORTER
It was, however, not clear whether the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project being referred to is different from the railway extension project awarded under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and supervised by his then Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi. The Buhari administration had earlier completed and commissioned the Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe-Warri railway projects, with the latter two also forming part of its major railway infrastructure development programme between 2015 and 2023.
Amid questions bordering on the justification for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid and his consideration by the Nigerian electorate ahead of the February 2027 general election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) says the President is accelerating the completion of major railway projects in Northern Nigeria, with the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway scheduled for inauguration on December 3, 2026.
The council disclosed that the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project, described as one of the administration’s legacy projects, had reached approximately 90 per cent completion, while the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project had attained 70 per cent completion.
It was, however, not clear whether the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project being referred to is different from the railway extension project awarded under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and supervised by his then Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi.
The Buhari administration had earlier completed and commissioned the Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe-Warri railway projects, with the latter two also forming part of its major railway infrastructure development programme between 2015 and 2023.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the APC-PCC, Dele Alake, the council said the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project was barely five per cent complete when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while the Kaduna-Kano project was less than 30 per cent complete.
“The projects demonstrate the administration’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s railway infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and facilitating the movement of passengers and goods across the country and beyond,” the statement partly read.
It added that the Kaduna-Kano railway, an extension of the existing Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line, would establish a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, thereby strengthening transportation links across major commercial centres in Northern Nigeria.
The council stated that the two railway projects were recently inspected on the directive of President Tinubu by a Federal Government delegation led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi.
It said Adebiyi expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction work, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.
“The inspection included a train test-run journey from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano, allowing officials to assess the completed track infrastructure and passenger comfort,” the statement said.
The PCC further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed the immediate resolution of all outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis to facilitate the completion of the railway corridor from Abuja to Kano.
According to the council, the completed 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section, out of the 205-kilometre stretch of the Kaduna-Kano railway project, alongside the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi railway project, would be inaugurated on December 3, 2026.
It said the Kaduna-Kano railway, when operational, would improve passenger transportation, facilitate commercial activities and provide an alternative to road travel along one of Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.
Similarly, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway, which has reached 70 per cent completion, is expected to strengthen cross-border transportation and trade between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.
The council maintained that all ongoing infrastructure projects across the country would be delivered as scheduled in line with President Tinubu’s development agenda.
Buhari’s Railway Legacy
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration (2015–2023) completed, commissioned, initiated or continued several railway infrastructure projects across Nigeria.
The Kaduna-Kano railway was said not to have been initiated by Tinubu but that President Buhari officially flagged off its construction on July 15, 2021, as part of the Lagos-Kano railway modernisation programme. This was announced by the State House, Abuja.
Similarly, Buhari flagged off the Kano-Maradi railway project in February 2021, according to the State House.
Therefore, the December 3, 2026 inauguration announced by the APC Presidential Campaign Council concerns railway projects initiated under Buhari and continued under Tinubu.
The distinction between initiating a project, continuing its construction and completing it is important in assessing the contributions of successive administrations to Nigeria’s railway infrastructure development, a source said according to the investigation.
Further reference has also shown that the Federal Government’s document, Buhari Administration 2015–2023 Factsheet, provides an overview of the railway and other infrastructure projects undertaken during the former President’s tenure.
