Kano-Maradi $2bn rail project to be completed by 2025 -FG

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The federal government has promised to complete the ongoing Kano to Maradi, in both Nigeria and Niger Republic rail project by 2025.
Minister of Transport, Senator Saidu Ahmad Alkali, stated this yesterday while inspecting the project, which started from Dawanau in Dawakin Tofa Local Government area of Kano state and designed to stop at the Maradi.
Recall that the inter-country project, worth about $2 billion, was awarded by the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Alkali expressed satisfaction with the project, which was signed in 2021, given the level that it is going, as the earth work has reached 80 percent level of completion.
He said, “the Earth of work of the Project has reached 80 percent competition stage while real Rail line work would soon commenced after the earth works”.
“I’m impressed with what we have seen we comes all the way from Dawanau where the project started so that we have first hands information of the level of the execution of the project and the Contractors are in compliance with the level of specifications of the jobs.”
On if the contractor would meet the targeted date, the Minister explained that the major work had been done and there is every tendencies that they would meet the target.
Also, when journalists asked the minister about possibility of reviewing the cost of the project to meet the current high cost of production realities, he said “ I don’t think so, as even the contractor should make some sacrifice to contribute his quota in the fixing of Nigeria by the Tinubu- led administration.”
On his part, the lead contractor, Mr. Vladislav Bystrenko, said the contract sum was $1.95 billion, with signed contractual obligations around 2021 with the Federal Government.
He added even before the fund were released they already went ahead with some major work of designing, land survey and supervision of the entire area.
Bystrenko, assured that government is highly committed to completing the project by the 2025 target.
In a related development, the minister also inspected the Muhammadu Buhari University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina state, during which the Head of the institution, promised to commence admissions next month.