Kaduna–Kano rail hits 90% as land compensation stalls final link

The Kaduna–Zaria–Kano standard gauge railway is about 90 per cent complete, the Federal Ministry of Transportation said after an inspection of the line this week.

The ministry's permanent secretary, Engr. Funso Adebiyi, gave the figure during a tour that included a train ride from Jaji to Kano, according to the ministry. He said about 145 kilometres of the roughly 200-kilometre Kaduna–Kano route was inspected, with about 10 kilometres of work left on that stretch.

For everyday travellers, the project matters because it is meant to cut the long, often risky road journey between Abuja and Kano. Once the line joins the existing Abuja–Kaduna corridor, passengers should be able to travel by train from Abuja through Kaduna and Zaria to Kano without changing to the road.

Compensation is the hold-up

Adebiyi named outstanding land acquisition and compensation claims in Kaduna metropolis as the main obstacle to completing the remaining link between Jaji and the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor. He said the matter would get immediate attention when the inspection team returned to Abuja.

During a courtesy visit to the Emir of Zazzau, Mallam Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, in Zaria, the permanent secretary pledged to personally step in on compensation complaints from residents whose property was affected by construction. He said he planned to meet the affected residents the following week to review their complaints and records.

The Emir welcomed the return of train services to Zaria and asked the government to consider naming a proposed railway extension after his grandfather, citing his role in bringing rail transport to the area. Adebiyi said the ministry would review the request.

Adebiyi said he was satisfied with the quality of the work, pointing to the track alignment, drainage, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation. He noted elevation changes of up to six metres on some sections, which he said showed the scale of earthworks needed for the railway's long-term safety.

"I want to confess that the quality of work is next to none," Adebiyi said during the inspection.

The Director of Rail Transport Services, Engr. Habiba Buhari, said the inspection was meant to check track geometry, alignment, drainage and concrete works ahead of finalisation and test runs.

What happens next

The ministry says work from Kano through Kazaure and Daura to Katsina is targeted for completion by December, with construction running round the clock. Adebiyi said President Bola Tinubu is committed to finishing the project and that uninterrupted Abuja–Kano train service is expected soon.

The sources did not give a cost for the project or a firm date for when the Kaduna compensation issues will be settled.