China Development Bank has provided a USD 254.76 million loan to Nigeria for the implementation of Kano – Kaduna rail project.
The Kano – Kaduna rail line will be 203 km and will be designed with standard gauge. Once completed, it will provide direct rail connectivity between Kano, an important northern city in Nigeria, and the country’s capital Abuja, offering local residents a safe, efficient, and convenient mode of transport.
Once the USD 1.2 billion project is complete, it will deliver a direct connection to Abuja. The standard gauge line is being constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Limited (CCECC). The construction of the projects started in July 2021 and currently reached more than 22% completion.
This railway will also promote the development of the country’s industry sector along the route and creates new job opportunities.
The Kano – Kaduna railway project has been included in the list of practical cooperation projects for the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. This project is being constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, with financing support provided by the China Development Bank.
Currently, the project is progressing smoothly. The China Development Bank stated that in the next phase, it will work closely with the Nigerian side to ensure the continued disbursement of loans and effectively manage following work.
The Nigerian railway network runs diagonally from the Southwest (from Lagos) to Northeast (in Nguru) and from the South-east (Port Harcourt) through Kafanchan to the North-East to Maiduguri.
In November 2024, the Nigerian Railway Corporation officially authorised CCECC operate railway services for the public carriage of goods on the Lagos – Ibadan standard-gauge railway line. CCECC is now becoming the first company licensed to operate standard-gauge rail freight in Nigeria. The contract will be effective until October 2027 and is part of Nigeria’s efforts to improve capacity and efficiency of rail freight services to alleviate road congestion, reduce travel times and costs and also to shift cargoes towards railways. This line serves country’s most important economic and industrial hub Lagos and the industrial city of Ibadan in the southwest.
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