The Federal Government has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Kaduna State Government on the development of a light rail system aimed at easing transportation within the state.
The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, made this known in Abuja when the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, led a delegation to the Ministry to seek federal support for the light rail initiative.
Describing the proposal as both timely and appropriate, the minister emphasized that transportation is a critical driver of economic growth, noting that no nation can grow its GDP without an affordable and efficient transportation system.
“When I assumed office as Minister of Transportation, I was directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the timely delivery of all railway projects under our mandate,” Alkali stated.
He commended Governor Sani’s development agenda, aligning it with the president’s Renewed Hope vision for transforming transportation infrastructure nationwide.
Highlighting recent progress, the minister said, “During President Tinubu’s recent state visit to China, he secured commitments for the completion of key railway projects, including the Ibadan-Abuja, Kaduna-Kano, and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri corridors. I am pleased to inform you that the Kaduna-Kano segment will be delivered by 2026, alongside the Kano-Maradi line and a branch to Dutse.”
Alkali reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working with sub-national governments, noting that collaboration is crucial to rail development across Nigeria.
He directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry to immediately constitute a committee involving the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), and the Kaduna State Government. The committee is tasked with designing the light rail framework and reporting back within two weeks.
“We want to do the groundbreaking as quickly as possible. The committee will submit its report in two weeks. I will personally inaugurate the committee on Monday and provide its terms of reference,” Alkali said.
In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani expressed appreciation to the Minister for his commitment to revamping the country’s rail infrastructure and for the Ministry’s continued support.
He stated that the light rail project is vital to addressing not just transport inefficiencies, but also unemployment and productivity concerns.
“Kaduna is emerging as a transportation hub in Northern Nigeria, second only to Lagos. A few weeks ago, President Tinubu was in Kaduna to commission our 100 CNG buses and acknowledged the state’s leadership in sustainable transport initiatives,” the governor noted.
He added that Kaduna had earlier embarked on a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, covering a 24km corridor with Nigeria’s first purpose-built bus terminal. The project is scheduled for commissioning in the third quarter of 2026.
Governor Sani revealed that President Tinubu has approved a first tranche of ₦100 billion to support Kaduna’s light rail development.
“By God’s grace, we will do the groundbreaking for our light rail in September, making Kaduna the next Nigerian state, after Lagos, to operate a light rail system,” he said.
