The Federal Government has said freight services would resume on the old narrow gauge rail line from Lagos to Kano following the completion of rehabilitation.
This was made known in a statement issued, yesterday, by the Minister of Transportation, Saidu Ahmed Alkali.
According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu would officially launch the reopening of the corridor for freight. He added that the ministry had conducted a trial run, moving import containers from Apapa Port in Lagos to Dala Inland Dry Port in Kano, and successfully transported numerous 40 feet containers from Lagos to Kano.
According to the minister, the railway route will create numerous opportunities for businesses and facilitate the movement of import and export goods between these crucial regions in the country.
“I am delighted to announce to Nigerians that the Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT GCFR, will be officially launching the reopening of this corridor for freight. This significant railway route will create numerous opportunities for businesses and facilitate the movement of import and export goods between these crucial regions in the country.
“It is our intention that this railway service will facilitate the transportation of a substantial number of import and export containers, leading to improvement in transportation services, a decrease in road traffic accidents, lower costs of goods, and boost our gross domestic product,” the statement read.
MEANWHILE, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has flagged-off a total of 70 kilometre roads across ten communities in the three senatorial districts in the state.
The flag-off took place at Rijiyar Gwangwan and Mil Goma in Dawakin Kudu Local Government area of Kano state. A statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, and made available to journalists in Kano, nioted that the road projects would be executed in partnership with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Lives & Livelihood Fund (LLF) through the Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project(KSADP) under Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA).
