President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set December 3, 2026, for the partial inauguration of two major railway projects in Northern Nigeria: the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway and the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway. The development was disclosed by the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, in a statement on Sunday. According to Alake, […]
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set December 3, 2026, for the partial inauguration of two major railway projects in Northern Nigeria: the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway and the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway.
The development was disclosed by the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, in a statement on Sunday.
According to Alake, the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project has reached approximately 90 per cent completion, while the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi project is about 70 per cent complete.
He recalled that when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi project was barely five per cent complete, while the Kaduna-Kano railway was less than 30 per cent complete.
Alake said the projects demonstrate the administration’s commitment to expanding railway infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and facilitating the movement of passengers and goods.
The Kaduna-Kano railway is an extension of the existing Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge line and is expected to establish a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano.
He added that a Federal Government inspection team, led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, recently assessed both projects on the President’s directive.
The inspection included a train test run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano, during which officials assessed the completed tracks, drainage systems, embankment protection and other construction works.
Alake also disclosed that Tinubu had directed that outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis be resolved immediately to facilitate the completion of the railway corridor.
He said the completed 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano project and the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi project would be inaugurated on December 3.
The Kaduna-Kano railway is expected to improve passenger transportation and commercial activities, while the Kano-Katsina-Maradi line is expected to strengthen cross-border trade and transportation between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
Meanwhile, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says reforms under the Tinubu administration are projected to generate additional annual revenue of 2.58 billion naira and total projected revenue of 25.7 billion dollars by 2029.
Keyamo also disclosed that the government’s proposed Nigeria Aircraft Leasing Company is expected to unlock more than one billion dollars in aircraft financing capacity for Nigerian airlines.
He said the initiative, approved by the Federal Executive Council in April 2026, would address longstanding difficulties faced by domestic airlines in accessing aircraft on competitive leasing terms.
According to the minister, the company would operate as a locally based Special Purpose Vehicle, fully funded by private investors, with sovereign backing from the Federal Government.
He explained that the government would not be required to make direct financial investments but would provide guarantees relating to aircraft repossession and safety, while holding equity through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated.
Keyamo said the arrangement would reduce the financial burden on local airlines and improve their competitiveness in the international aviation market.
He cited the delivery of a Boeing 737-700 NG to Air Peace on a dry lease from international aircraft lessor AerCap as one of the benefits of the reforms.
The minister also disclosed that Nigeria recorded its highest-ever International Civil Aviation Organisation safety compliance score of 91.45 per cent in April 2026, following the organisation’s Coordinated Validation Mission.
He said the score was above the global average of 70.4 per cent and the West African average of 61.1 per cent.
Keyamo added that Nigeria achieved full aerodrome certification for its five international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu for the first time.
He further highlighted international certifications secured by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, alongside investments in airspace management and surveillance systems.
The minister also defended the administration’s decision to abandon the proposed national carrier partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, saying the government instead focused on strengthening existing Nigerian airlines.
He cited government support for Air Peace’s entry into the Lagos-London route in March 2024 and its subsequent expansion to Abuja-London operations.
Other interventions highlighted by Keyamo include a 30 per cent discount on outstanding debts owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies, the reconstruction of Terminal One at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at a cost of 712.3 billion naira, and the clearance of foreign airlines’ trapped funds.
He also said the government committed 46 billion naira to resurfacing the runway at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, while the domestic terminal was remodelled and a new Hajj terminal commissioned in July 2026.
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