BEVERLY HILLS, February 09, (THEWILL) – President Buhari yesterday virtually performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kano–Dutse–Jibia (Katsina State) –Maradi 284 kilometres rail project to link Kano in Nigeria with Maradi in Niger Republic.
The $1.96 billion project was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by the President last September.
Said to be crucial to rail development in Nigeria and in the West African sub-region, the project is being executed by Mota-Engil Group, a multinational engineering and construction company.
With 15 stations along the corridor, the connection has its completion date set for the next three years.
The Nigerian government said it would boost socio-economic activities in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states in Nigeria as well as Maradi in Niger Republic.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had tweeted on January 11 that the contractor agreed to build a university as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) while working on the project.
Amaechi said the rail line was favourable to Nigeria as it would boost the country’s competitiveness against other coastal countries in West Africa as well as service landlocked neighbours in the movement of cargoes calculated to make the Lagos seaports more viable.
The Minister also disclosed that the project would be linked with the Lagos–Kano railway lines to enhance and stimulate agricultural and manufacturing activities in the country.
Those at the venue of the event in Katsina were the governors of Katsina, Jigawa and Kano states as well as Gov. Zakari Umar of Maradi in Niger Republic.
Some ministers, including Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and traditional rulers from Nigeria and Niger Republic also witnessed the event.
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