Buhari to flag-off $2b Kano-Maradi rail line on Tuesday

The Federal Executive Council had, last year, approved about $2 billion for the project.

President Muhammadu Buhari will perform the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kano-Maradi rail line at the Katsina axis of the project on Tuesday, February, 9th, 2021.

The Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, announced the ceremony via his Twitter handle.

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Amaechi, in his tweet post, said: “We are pleased to announce the groundbreaking of the Kano-Maradi, Kano-Dutse Railway Project, slated for Tuesday, our President, Muhammadu Buhari will do the honours. Work begins.’’

The Federal Executive Council had, last year, approved about $2 billion for the project.

Thus, the federal government, in January 2021, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Mota-Engil Group on the construction of $1.959 billion Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway line.

Mr Amaechi had signed on behalf of the Nigerian government while the Managing Director of Mota-Engil, Antonio Gvoea, signed on behalf of the contracting firm.

The new railway corridor, which is to be located in northern Nigeria, will run through three states: Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and through Niger territory as far as Maradi.

Other cities that will be affected by the rail line in Nigeria are Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya.

Our correspondent reports that the project has generated huge controversy around its impact on the Nigerian economy and the rationale for expanding resources to build rail lines into another country when many corridors in Nigeria are without the same facility.

But Amaechi argued that the 283.750-kilometre rail line, besides developing freight and passenger transport as it will be integrated with road transport, will make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.

The project duration is for 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.