President Bola Tinubu has set December 3, 2026 for the inauguration of completed sections of the Kaduna-Kano and Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway projects, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.
Dele Alake, spokesperson for the council, said the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Standard Gauge Railway had reached approximately 90 per cent completion, while the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi project had attained 70 per cent.
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- Kaduna-Kano railway: about 90 per cent complete, up from less than 30 per cent in 2023, the council says
- Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway: about 70 per cent complete, up from barely five per cent in 2023
- The 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section and a 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section are listed for December 3 inauguration
- A Federal Government inspection team recently assessed both projects
What the December 3 inauguration covers
According to the statement, the completed 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano railway will be inaugurated alongside the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi project on December 3.
The Kaduna-Kano railway is an extension of the existing Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line. On completion of the outstanding sections, it is expected to provide a continuous rail connection linking Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, strengthening transport links across major commercial centres in Northern Nigeria.
The council said a Federal Government inspection team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funso Adebiyi, recently assessed both projects on the President's directive.
How the completion figures were presented
NewsTweetNaija notes that the completion percentages and the December 3 date come from the APC Presidential Campaign Council's statement, as reported by Radio Nigeria, BusinessDay and other outlets. They are the council's figures, not an independent engineering assessment published alongside them.
The statement framed the progress as a significant improvement from 2023, when, it said, the Kaduna-Kano project was less than 30 per cent complete and the Kano-Katsina-Maradi line was barely five per cent complete when Tinubu assumed office.
What happens next
If the December 3 inauguration holds as announced, it will mark another stage in the expansion of Nigeria's standard gauge network, although additional construction will still be required before the entire corridors become fully operational. Traders and passengers along the Abuja-Kano corridor will be watching for confirmed train schedules and fares after the inauguration.
Credit: Radio Nigeria and BusinessDay reports of November 8–9, 2026, reporting the statement by Dele Alake.
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