N1trn metro rail to restore Kano’s competitive edge

Kano State is moving to reclaim its position as the North’s economic nerve centre with a proposed N1 trillion metropolitan rail system.

This is coming as the  Federal Government accelerates the delivery of the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge rail line. Both interventions are expected to significantly lower the cost of doing business in the state.

Abba Kabir Yusuf, the state governor, disclosed the rail plan while addressing Kano’s contingent at the 2025 National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Borno State, describing it as a strategic investment aimed at unlocking productivity, easing the movement of goods and labour, and restoring Kano’s competitive edge.

According to a statement by Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the governor’s spokesperson, the proposed Kano Metropolitan Rail Service will connect key commercial districts across the city, providing an affordable mass transit system that reduces travel time for workers, traders, and service providers.

For a city where congestion routinely disrupts supply chains, the rail service is expected to deliver immediate gains. Business owners in manufacturing clusters, wholesale markets, and industrial layouts stand to benefit from improved workforce mobility and predictable transit times — critical factors in productivity and cost control.

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Governor Yusuf said the project would “reposition Kano as a major transportation hub in Northern Nigeria,” noting that improved urban connectivity directly translates to increased trade volumes and investor confidence.

He added that Kano’s renewed alignment with the Federal Government was driven by the need to attract large-scale infrastructure capable of catalysing economic growth, pledging close cooperation with federal agencies to ensure transparency and timely delivery.

Industry sources argue that beyond city movement, the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge railway is emerging as a strategic logistics corridor for businesses operating between northern markets and the rest of the country.

Sa`id Alkali, Minister of Transportation, revealed recently that the 203-kilometre Kaduna-Kano rail project is now 53 per cent completed, up from 15 per cent at the start of the Tinubu administration, with full completion targeted for December 2026. The project is estimated to cost about US$973 million (N480–N500 billion).

Once operational, the line will integrate Kano more efficiently into Nigeria’s Lagos–Abuja–Kano rail spine, offering manufacturers and traders a cheaper alternative to road haulage and reducing exposure to fuel price volatility and highway insecurity.

Funding for the project combines support from the China Development Bank and counterpart contributions from the Federal Government, following the withdrawal of China Exim Bank in 2020.

Equally significant is the Kano–Maradi rail line, which Alkali said has progressed from five to 60 per cent completion and will reach Katsina by December this year, with completion expected by March 2027.

Describing the corridor as “more than a railway project,” the minister said it would open access for Nigerian goods into the Niger Republic and broader West African markets, reinforcing Kano’s historic role as a trans-Sahelian trading hub.

For exporters of agricultural produce, textiles, leather goods, and manufactured items, the rail network promises lower logistics costs, faster turnaround times, and expanded market reach.

Alkali stressed that the Federal Government’s rail agenda prioritises commerce, agriculture, and industry, alongside job creation and skills development. He also welcomed the constitutional amendment placing rail development on the concurrent list, allowing states and private investors to play a more active role.

As rail infrastructure reshapes movement within Kano and beyond its borders, industry sources say the combined impact of the metropolitan rail and inter-state connections could redefine how business is done in the state — turning mobility into a competitive advantage and positioning Kano as a modern logistics and investment destination once again.