The federal government has reaffirmed its determination to completing and commissioning the 284-kilometre Kano-Katsina railway project by December 2026 despite challenges earlier posed by insecurity, land disputes and the seasonal slowdown in construction activities. The assurance was given during a joint inspection of the project by officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry […]
The federal government has reaffirmed its determination to completing and commissioning the 284-kilometre Kano-Katsina railway project by December 2026 despite challenges earlier posed by insecurity, land disputes and the seasonal slowdown in construction activities.
The assurance was given during a joint inspection of the project by officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Finance, representatives of lending institutions, the project contractor, a statement by the ministry noted.
The inspection provided an update on the progress of the strategic rail corridor, with officials putting the level of physical completion at 80 per cent.
The inspection involved the test-running of the completed track from Kazauri to Katsina.
Speaking shortly after the inspection, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, an engineer, represented by the Director, Rail Transport Services, Habibat Buhari, also an engineer, said the project remained firmly on course despite some setbacks.
She said the rainy season had slowed construction activities slightly, but stressed that significant work had already been accomplished.
Habibat explained that the current level of physical progress remained around 80 per cent, adding that materials required for track laying had already been stockpiled at the project camp.
According to her, the government was working to ensure that the remaining activities were completed within the approved timeline.
“We have done a lot of work for just one per cent physical progress,” she said, stressing that the project had reached a stage where major construction activities could be accelerated.
The representative of the permanent secretary identified insecurity in some sections of the corridor and disputes over land and canal areas as the two major issues affecting the pace of construction.
She explained that security concerns had disrupted day-to-day activities in some areas, while some communities were yet to accept provisions relating to the Land Use Act.
She, however, assured that the challenges would only delay the project temporarily and would not stop its completion.
“These will only cause delays, not stop the project. We had similar cases in the past and were attended to,” she said.
She also disclosed that the government was intensifying engagement with affected communities and other stakeholders to resolve the land-related disputes and enable contractors to move into the affected sections.
She expressed confidence that the December commissioning target would be achieved.
She said efforts were being made to ensure that the required rolling stock arrived in time for the commissioning.
