The Federal Government has announced that the Lagos-Kano narrow-gauge rail line is set to begin freight services.
The contractors revealed this during the visit of the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, to the site for an on-the-spot inspection of the project in Kano State on Thursday.
This follows an update from the contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, indicating that the line has been connected to the Zawaciki Dala Dry Port in Kano, the commercial hub of the State.
The Minister stated that starting freight operations would extend the lifespan of the nation’s highways and help reduce the number of auto accident-related deaths among Nigerians. Alkali noted significant progress when compared to his first visit, and expressed satisfaction with the pace of work.
He also revealed that the project would be divided into segments in order to facilitate smoother, more efficient, and quicker completion.
The Minister also said that, “I have just discussed with the contractor, we are going to segment the project by the grace of God. We are going to put Kano-Daura next year; Daura to Maradi in 2026 and Dutse to Kano in 2026”.
