Nigeria Gets €245m Chinese Loan for Kaduna-Kano Rail Project

This will provide crucial financial backing to ensure the smooth construction of the transportation initiative, the CDB said on Tuesday.

The railway is on the list of practical cooperation deliverables released during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2023.

The project has been making steady progress so far, the CDB said, adding that going forward, it will closely coordinate with Nigerian partners to ensure the smooth disbursement of subsequent loans and effective post-loan management.

The Kaduna-Kano railway, spanning 203 kilometres in total, is set to provide a direct rail connection between Kano, an important northern city in Nigeria, and the country’s capital Abuja upon its completion, according to the CDB.

In July 2024, the Senate Committee Chairman on Land Transport, Mr Adamu Aliero reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly in ensuring that funds are made available for timely completion of the project.

Mr Aliero, while speaking to the press on the sidelines of the inspection at Maikarfi, Kaduna State, explained that the joint committee of both the House and also the Senate were on site to inspect the construction of a rail line between Kaduna to Kano.

“We have just taken a ride from Kano to Maikarfi. So far, we are impressed with what we have seen. We have seen a lot of dedication by the ministry and also by the contractor trying to deliver the project in time, I think 2025, they said.

“We understand that the deadline given to them is 2025 or 2026. But we are hoping that by 2025 if they sustain the tempo, they will be able to deliver. We will lobby our colleagues in the National Assembly to ensure that this project does not suffer from inadequate funding.

“There are other challenges connected with the project, particularly the funding arrangement, which we intend to discuss with the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General of the Federation, and also the Minister of Transportation,” he added.