The Federal Government has scheduled December 3, 2026, for the inauguration of the completed section of the Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway as construction work on major railway projects in Northern Nigeria approaches completion.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Dele Alake, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project had reached approximately 90 per cent completion.

He added that the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project had attained 70 per cent completion.

According to Alake, the projects were less than 30 per cent and barely five per cent complete, respectively, when President Bola Tinubu assumed office in 2023.

He said the Kaduna-Kano railway, which extends the existing Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line, would establish a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, improving transportation links across major commercial centres in the North.

The statement disclosed 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 team reportedly expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction, particularly the railway alignment, drainage infrastructure, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.

The inspection also featured a train test-run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano to assess the completed track infrastructure and passenger comfort.

Alake said the President had directed the immediate resolution of outstanding land acquisition and compensation issues within Kaduna metropolis to facilitate completion of the railway corridor linking Abuja and Kano.

He disclosed that the completed 190-kilometre Jaji-Kano section of the Kaduna-Kano railway would be inaugurated alongside the 250-kilometre Dawanu-Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Katsina section of the Kano-Maradi project on December 3.

The Kaduna-Kano railway is expected to improve passenger transportation, facilitate commercial activities and provide an alternative to road travel along one of Northern Nigeria's busiest economic corridors.

Similarly, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway is expected to strengthen cross-border transportation and trade between Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.

The campaign council said the projects reflected the administration's commitment to expanding railway infrastructure and improving regional connectivity.