Feelers from officials of the federal government have revealed that the current diplomatic face-off between Nigeria and Niger Republic won’t affect the rail modernisation project from Kano (Nigeria) to Maradi (Niger Republic).
Recently, Niger’s foreign minister, Bakary Yaou Sangare summoned the chargé d’affaires at the Nigerian embassy, accusing the federal government of oiling efforts to destabilise the junta-led nation.
The crisis is a fallout of the larger spat between Niger and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which led to Niger alongside Burkina Faso and Mali pulling out of the regional bloc over military coups in the three Sahelian countries.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu is the chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Governments and under his leadership, the regional bloc threatened to invade Niger to restore the democratic government of Mohamed Bazoum, toppled by the military in June 2023.
This decision infuriated the military leaders and in solidarity with their fellow coup plotters in Burkina Faso and Mali, announced their decision to quit ECOWAS in January 2024. They have stuck to their guns and rejected all entreaties to return to the regional organisation even after ECOWAS withdrew its threats and lifted a raft of sanctions imposed on Niger.
Despite the strained relationship, the minister of transportation, Senator Sa’idu Alkali, has said the “project is ongoing and will be completed in due time.”
The minister, at the ongoing budget defence before the National Assembly, gave the breakdown of the work done on the project, stressing that over 100km of earthworks had been completed.
Alkali said the contractors had constructed one railway bridge, 125 culverts, and three frame bridges.
He added that the contractors had developed 57km of drainage systems, noting that with the 2025 budget, all the outstanding work at the ministry would receive adequate attention.
While defending the 2025 N225.744 billion of the ministry and its agencies before the joint committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Land Transport, he said the ministry and its agencies have resolved to work hard at ensuring the realisation of Nigeria’s Integrated Infrastructure Master plan.
According to him, the Kano-Maradi railway project has reached 35 per cent completion
At a different forum, the Ambassador of Portugal to Nigeria, Paulo Santos, the home country of the contractor handling the project, had explained that the work was going on according to specifications as the project is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
He had said that the construction work is currently at Dutse in Katsina State as they intend to cover 320km out of a total of 400km.
The Kano-Maradi railway project costs over $1.9 billion; that is N400 billion, where the federal government is to pay 15 percent of the project and source 85 per cent of funds through a loan, which the government would pay within a 50-year duration.
The railway will connect Kano to Jigawa State, on the northern border of Nigeria, and extend to Maradi, Niger. In addition, a new branch line will be constructed from Kano to Dutse in Jigawa State, Nigeria.
The new railway line, with 13 stations, will span three states: Kano, Jigawa and Katsina, and extend to Niger.
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