Social activist, Muhammad Mahdi Shehu has described the Federal Government’s purported approval of a ₦1 trillion Metropolitan Rail Service for Kano State as political deception, questioning the credibility and substance of the announced project.
Shehu’s reaction follows claims by Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, that the Tinubu administration had approved the rail project shortly after the governor’s political realignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Yusuf disclosed the project on Thursday, while addressing members of the Kano State contingent at the 2025 National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Borno State, describing it as a landmark intervention that would transform urban transportation, reduce traffic congestion and stimulate economic growth in the state. According to the governor, the proposed rail system would provide a modern, efficient and affordable mass transit option linking key districts across Kano metropolis, easing movement, facilitating trade, attracting investors and improving residents’ quality of life.
However, reacting via his social media platforms in a statement titled: “Emotional rail project for Kano State: another political deception”, Shehu dismissed the announcement as unfounded and misleading. He said: “This is pure deception. There is no such provision in the 2026 budgetary proposals. No such memo has been presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for deliberation. There is no design on the ground, no contractor and no consultants”.
The activist further questioned the timing of the announcement, linking it to recent political developments in the state. “Just to deceive Kano State people because Abba has joined the ‘gorilla and reptiles’ club where venoms flow”, he added, in an apparent reference to the governor’s defection to the APC.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Federal Ministry of Transportation nor the Presidency has publicly issued a statement confirming details of the proposed Kano Metropolitan Rail Service, including funding structure, timeline or implementation framework.
