Saidu Alkali, minister of transportation, says the federal government will soon flag off light rail projects in Kaduna and Kano as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s transport infrastructure and deepen regional integration.
The minister spoke in Kaduna on Wednesday during an interactive forum organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.
Alkali said the new rail projects are being implemented through the ministry of finance incorporated (MOFI) and are part of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
He described the rail sector as a “critical artery for economic growth and national unity,” adding that the government’s renewed investment aims to enhance mobility, support trade, and connect inland cities to key markets.
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“The north is not left out. In fact, it is reaping big from this government’s infrastructure revolution. From roads and rail to inland ports and power, the evidence is on the ground,” he said.
The minister revealed that the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge rail project, which stood at 15 percent in May 2023, has now reached 53 percent and is expected to be completed in 2026.
He added that the Kano–Maradi line has progressed from five percent to 61 percent, while a 61-kilometre stretch of the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri line has been completed and is now operational.
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Alkali added that the federal government has also begun rehabilitating the Lagos–Kano narrow gauge railway to facilitate freight movement and optimise the use of inland dry ports in Kaduna and Kano.
He said the Tinubu administration’s efforts have led to the revival of several stalled rail projects, crediting the president’s intervention with Chinese authorities for unlocking funding and clearing bureaucratic delays.
In addition to rail, the minister said the federal government is constructing modern transport terminals across the six geopolitical zones.
He said the terminals will feature compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling stations, security facilities, and sanitation services, in line with post-subsidy economic strategies.
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He also announced the revival of the Daura Transport University, with academic development now being guided by the National Universities Commission (NUC), and ongoing technician training for CNG vehicle conversion at the Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria.
On housing, Alkali said over 3,000 units have been completed under the renewed hope cities project, including 3,112 in Abuja, 1,500 in Kano, and others in Katsina, Gombe, Yobe, Benue, Sokoto, and Nasarawa states.
He said the initiative has created over 250,000 jobs and is attracting over N70 billion in private investment across the construction sector.
In the energy sector, he said the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has deployed 32 mini-grids and 1,100 standalone solar systems across five states in the north-east.
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