TheCable

Saidu Alkali, minister of transportation, says the federal government is committed to completing the rail project from Kano to Maradi, a town in Niger Republic, by 2025.

The project was initiated in 2021 by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking with reporters after inspecting sections of the project in Jigawa state, Alkali expressed optimism that the contractors would deliver the project “in good time”.

The minister said a lot of work has already been executed, adding that everyone, including the contractor working on the project, must make sacrifices for the country to succeed.

“I am impressed with what I have seen. We came all the way from Dawanau to where we are now so that we can have first-hand information of the level of the execution of the project and the compliance with the specifications of the contract,” he said.

“Hopefully, the contractors will meet the set target. When you look at the project from Dawanau to where we are, you can see that the major part of the work is almost accomplished if you look at the earth clearing and bush clearing.

“Hopefully, they will meet up with the 2025 target.

“Even the contractor himself has to make some sacrifices because we want to fix Nigeria. Everybody has to contribute their own quota to the development of this country.”

The project is reportedly worth $2 billion.