1trn Metro Rail To Restore Kano’s Competitive Edge

Kano State is set to boost its economic competitiveness with a proposed ₦1 trillion metropolitan rail system, alongside the ongoing construction of the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge railway.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf disclosed the metro rail plan while addressing Kano’s delegation at the 2025 National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Borno State, describing it as a strategic investment to ease congestion, cut business costs, and improve the movement of goods and labour.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the governor said the Kano Metropolitan Rail Service will link major commercial districts across the city, offering affordable mass transit and reducing travel time for workers, traders, and service providers. The project is expected to improve productivity, especially in manufacturing hubs, wholesale markets, and industrial areas where congestion often disrupts supply chains.

Governor Yusuf noted that the rail system would reposition Kano as a major transportation hub in Northern Nigeria, adding that improved urban connectivity would enhance trade volumes and investor confidence. He also pledged closer collaboration with the Federal Government to ensure transparency and timely delivery.

At the federal level, Minister of Transportation Sa’id Alkali said the 203-kilometre Kaduna–Kano rail line is now 53 per cent completed, with delivery targeted for December 2026. The project, estimated at about US$973 million, will integrate Kano into the Lagos–Abuja–Kano rail corridor, offering cheaper and safer alternatives to road transport.

Alkali also disclosed that the Kano–Maradi rail line has reached 60 per cent completion and is expected to connect Katsina by December 2026, with full completion slated for March 2027. He said the corridor would strengthen Kano’s role as a regional trade hub, opening Nigerian goods to Niger Republic and wider West African markets.

For manufacturers and exporters, the expanding rail network is expected to lower logistics costs, reduce exposure to fuel price volatility, and improve access to domestic and regional markets.