The 25-kilometre Kano-Maradi Railway that runs from the Nigerian border town of Jibiya to Maradi connecting the three northern Nigerian states of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina, as well as crossing the border between the two nations, is expected to start operating in May 2023 before the end of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s term of office.

The train project, valued at $1.8 billion, has the potential to change the economic outlook for northern Nigeria and the greater Sahara region. Nigeria has taken the initiative to build a railway link between Nigeria and Niger. While the original aim was to improve Nigeria’s Lakaji Corridor, which connects Lagos-Kano-Jibiya, officials accepted the proposal and suggested linking Jibiya to Maradi.

Niger is a landlocked country that relies heavily on its neighbors on the southern coast for foreign trade. Nigeria is trying to offer Niger an alternative route that would allow its neighbor to transfer freight traffic away from the current Niamey-Dosso-Parakou-Cotonou axis to the Nigerian corridor. While the route would be more efficient for products from southern Niger, customs offices and warehouses at a dry port in Maradi would make the route competitive for logistics in a much larger region.

According to Amaechi, the railway line, which carries both people and goods, has its own electricity and water supply system, GSM communication system, freight stations, rolling stock depots and maintenance facilities.

the world Bank concluded in 2018 that railway efficiency would generate $1.3 billion in annual revenue across the region.

Financing of the Kano-Maradi railway

Nigeria is said to have opted to fully fund the Kano-Maradi railway project without requiring Niger to make any financial contribution. Niger appears to have embraced the initiative after abandoning its own national rail network after its inauguration in 2014.

Following a meeting between Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerien President said the project is an infrastructure that will unite the economies of Nigeria and Niger.

In a bid to promote regional and international trade, road projects linking Kano and other northern Nigerian cities such as Katsina and Maiduguri will boost connectivity, and dry ports are being built across the region.

reported earlier

Jan 2021

Award of the contract for the construction of the Kano-Maradi and Kano-Dutse railway line

The contract was awarded to Mota-Engil Groupa multinational organization headquartered in Portugal whose activities are focused on the construction and management of infrastructures in the segments of engineering and construction, environment and services, transport concessions, l energy and mining.

An overview of the project

This project includes the construction of a standard gauge railway line with a route of approximately 377 kilometers from Kano to Maradi and a branch line from Kano to Dutse.

The 284 kilometer Kano-Maradi railway line will connect three federal states in northern Nigeria (Kano, Jigawa and Katsina) and Maradi, the second largest city in the Republic of Niger, while the 93 kilometer branch line will connect the capital of Jigawa State, known as Dutse, in Kano.

According to Amaechi, the contractor also agreed to build a university as part of his corporate social responsibility (CSR) while working on the project.

Benefits of the project

The Kano-Maradi & Kano-Dutse railway line project is expected to encourage economic development through ease of access to goods and services, facilitate transportation of raw materials and manufactured products and create employment opportunities for a wide range of staff.

In addition, the railway line and its related facilities will create conditions for the growth of existing enterprises and industrial facilities, internal and external trade and the integration of the country.

Overall, the new railway line will impact a population of approximately 8.8 million people
with many positive social and economic effects.

February 2021

Start of construction of the Nigeria-Niger (Kano-Maradi) railway line

Mota-Engil SGPS SAa Portuguese group in the sectors of civil construction, public works, port operations, waste, water and logistics, has started the construction of the Nigeria-Niger Railway line (Kano-Maradi railway) of US$1.8 billion.

This comes barely a month after Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, announced the conclusion of a contract with the Portuguese group on the 283 kilometer line which connects the northern commercial center of Kano to the town of Maradi on the other side of the Nigeria-Niger border.

Also Read:Nigeria Concessions 12 Roads Under Highways Development and Management Initiative

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 9 this year at the site of a proposed station in the town of Makira, Katsina State.

Project scope

This project includes the construction of a standard gauge railway line with a route of approximately 377 kilometers from Kano to Maradi and a branch line from Kano to Dutse.

The 284 kilometer Kano-Maradi railway line will connect three federal states in northern Nigeria (Kano, Jigawa and Katsina) and Maradi, the second largest city in the Republic of Niger, while the 93 kilometer branch line will connect the capital of Jigawa State, known as Dutse, in Kano.

Due to be completed by 2023 according to Minister Amaechi, the entire line has a total of 15 stations and its daily traffic forecast is 9,364 passengers and about 3,000 metric tons of cargo.

The contractor will also build a multidisciplinary university in Rivers State as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Benefits of the project for Nigeria

According to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Kano-Maradi railway, among other benefits, will create revenue for Nigeria and enable the people of the Niger Republic to benefit from affordable transport.

“The project, when completed, would serve the import and export of goods for the Republic of Niger and other countries in the sub-region through Nigerian ports. The country will therefore gain revenue through the expansion of trade and commerce, while the people of the Republic of Niger will benefit from the ease of transport and logistics at an affordable cost in their import and export activities. “said the president.

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Transport, has awarded the contract for the implementation of the Kano-Maradi & Kano-Dutse Railway Line Project which will link the Republic of Nigeria with the neighboring Republic of Niger.

Also Read: Reconstruction of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, Nigeria, to be completed in 2023

The revelation was made by Rotimi Amaechi, the Nigerian Transport Minister, in a tweet which read: “Today (January 11, 2021) we signed the contract documents for the launch of the Kano-Maradi Railway Project, Kano-Dutse “.

Jul 2021

Construction of the Kano-Kaduna railway line in Nigeria has been halted

The Federal Government of Nigeria, led by President Muhammadu Buharirecently announced the construction of the Kano–Kaduna railway line at a ceremony hosted by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC)the project contractor, in Kano.

The ceremony took place in the presence of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-the Federal Minister of Transport, Abdullah Umar Ganduje-the Governor of Kano State, Alhassan Musa Ibrahim– the president of Nigeria Railway Corporationand Mr. Cui Jianchun – the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jiang Yigao – the Chairman of CCECC and Zhang Zhichen – the Managing Director of CCECC.

According to Muhammadu Buhari, the inauguration ceremony of the Kano – Kaduna railway line project, which is part of the Lagos – Kano railway modernization project, marks an important milestone in the construction of the third section of the latter including the first section Abuja – Kaduna railway and the second Lagos – Ibadan railway section are already completed and operational.

About the Kano–Kaduna Railway

Stretching over a distance of 1343 km, the Kano – Kaduna railway is expected to be completed within an 18-month period during which it will link the Lagos – Ibadan railway project and the Kano – Maradi project.

These links will allow Nigerians to pass through Abuja and Kano via Kaduna with relative ease and make the ports of Lagos the choice for import and export business for people in the landlocked Niger Republic, thereby boosting trade between the two West African countries.

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“The project will undoubtedly improve the standard of living of the citizens in its corridor, create jobs and promote trade, and in the long term will help decongest the Lagos port complex and increase its efficiency as well as further increase the viability. of the Inland Dry. Ports located in Ibadan, Kaduna and Kano,” said Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.