President Muhammadu Buhari has performed the groundbreaking for the commencement of the construction of $1.96 billion Kano-Maradi 284 kilometre standard gauge rail line with a branch line from Kano to Dutse.
The $1.96 billion project was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in September 2020.
The project, believed to be crucial to rail development in Nigeria and in the West African sub-region, is being executed by Mota-Engil Group, a multinational engineering and construction company.
Speaking at the virtual groundbreaking, on Tuesday, in Katsina State, Buhari said the commencement of the construction of rail line was vital to the transportation infrastructure in the country.
According to the President, “the rail line traverses the major commercial and administrative centre of Kano and passing through other economic hubs of the country including Kazaure, Daura, Katsina and up to the border town of Jibiya and the Niger Republic city of Maradi.
It would be recalled that Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had tweeted on Jan. 11 that the contractor agreed to build a university as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) while working on the project.
According to Amaechi, the rail line is favourable to Nigeria as it will help the country to compete favourably with other coastal countries in West Africa to service its landlocked neighbours in the movement of cargoes and will make the Lagos seaports more viable.
The minister also disclosed that the project would be linked with the Lagos–Kano railway lines to enhance and stimulate agricultural and manufacturing activities in the country.
