Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Rail Line Set for December Completion

The Federal Government of Nigeria has set a target for the completion of the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway route by December, as part of its initiative to improve the country's rail transportation system. Funsho Adebiyi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, made this announcement on Monday in Abuja during the 19th National Council on Transportation.

Adebiyi highlighted that approximately 98% of Nigerians rely on road transportation, which has led to excessive traffic and overloading of road infrastructure. He stated that the government aims to alleviate this pressure by shifting some freight transportation to rail.

Adebiyi noted that several railway routes, including Port Harcourt-Aba, Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna, and Warri-Itakpe, are already operational. He confirmed that the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route is nearing completion and will be operational by December.

Additionally, he mentioned that work on the Kano-Daura-Katsina route is also at an advanced stage, with a similar completion timeline.