The Federal Government has revealed plans for the commencement of freight operations on the Lagos-Kano rail line starting from June 2024, News About Nigeria reports.
This announcement was made by the project contractors, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), during a visit by the Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’id Alkali, to the project site in Kano State on Thursday.
According to the contractors, the rail line has been successfully linked up to the Zawaciki Dala Dry Port, situated in the commercial city of Kano, paving the way for the initiation of freight operations.
Senator Alkali, while addressing the media during the inspection visit, said that freight operations on the rail line would not only preserve the lifespan of the nation’s highways but also contribute to saving lives by reducing the occurrence of fatal accidents on the roads.
Expressing satisfaction with the progress of work on the Kano-Maradi standard gauge rail corridor, Senator Alkali noted an improvement compared to his previous inspection visit to the site.
“But the impression I have from the last visit I came is that the progress is remarkable from what I have seen.
“We came all the way from Kano, we drove on the formation that they did, they are doing the earthwork and the culvert and this is a station where they have started preparing the rail lines and the slippers so that they will use their locomotive to convey the materials on the rail line.”
He commended the efforts of the contractors and called for efficiency and timely completion of the project.
The Minister further disclosed plans to segment the project for easier management and faster completion.
During the inspection visit, Senator Alkali and his team inspected several key points along the rail corridor, including Kaduna-Kano, Dala Inland Dry Port in Kano, Kano-Maradi, Kazaure, Dambata, and Daura.
The Minister also inspected the Federal University of Transportation in Daura as part of the comprehensive assessment of the project’s progress.
In his concluding remarks, Senator Alkali said the rail line is important as it reduces the cost of doing business, improves logistics efficiency, and contributes to the overall GDP growth of Nigeria.
