Minister Expresses Satisfaction With Work On Kano–Maradi Rail

Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmad Alkali, who is on an inspection tour of the Kano-Maradi railway project, has expressed satisfaction with the level of work, expressing hope that it would meet the 2025 target for completion. 

He was addressing newsmen at the 110th kilometre point of the project close to Kazaure in Jigawa State yesterday. 

The $2 billion project awarded in 2021 by the immediate past administration started in the third quarter of 2022 and has reached 80 percent completion of earthwork and bush clearing. 

The minister said the government was not considering reviewing the cost of the project, adding that the contractor would have to make some sacrifices.

“I am impressed with what I have seen. We came all the way from Dawanau to where we are now so that we can have first hand information on the level of  execution of the project and compliance with the specifications of the contract. 

“Hopefully the contractors will meet the set target when you look at the project from Dawanau to where we are. The major part of the work is almost accomplished if you look at the earth clearing and bush clearing, hopefully they will meet up with the 2025 target. 

“On readjusting the cost of the project due to the current economic realities, if you look at this, it all depends, because even the contractor himself has to make some sacrifice because we want to fix Nigeria. Everybody has to contribute their own quota to the development of this country. 

“I am on Kano-Maradi now, in continuation of the inspection of all the railway projects across the country. I intend to be in Port Harcourt next week” he said.

The minister also inspected the Muhammadu Buhari University of Transportation in Daura where he was shown round the campus by the vice chancellor, Prof Adam Umar.