Kano State is positioning itself to reclaim its status as Northern Nigeria’s commercial hub with plans for a ₦1 trillion metropolitan rail system, alongside accelerating federal rail projects expected to cut business costs and boost productivity.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf unveiled 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, improve labour mobility, and restore the state’s competitive edge.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the proposed Kano Metropolitan Rail Service will link major commercial districts across the city, offering affordable mass transit for workers, traders, and service providers.
For a city where traffic congestion often disrupts supply chains, the rail system is expected to deliver quick economic gains. Manufacturers, wholesale traders, and businesses in industrial clusters are projected to benefit from predictable transit times, improved workforce access, and lower operating costs.
Governor Yusuf said the project would “reposition Kano as a major transportation hub in Northern Nigeria,” adding that enhanced urban connectivity would strengthen trade volumes and investor confidence. He also pledged close collaboration with the Federal Government to ensure transparency and timely delivery.
The metro rail plan aligns with progress on the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge railway, which is now 53 per cent completed, up from 15 per cent at the start of the Tinubu administration. Minister of Transportation Sa’id Alkali said the 203-kilometre line is scheduled for completion by December 2026 at an estimated cost of $973 million (₦480–₦500 billion).
Once operational, the line will integrate Kano into the Lagos–Abuja–Kano rail corridor, offering businesses a cheaper and safer alternative to road transport while reducing exposure to fuel price volatility and highway insecurity. The project is funded through a mix of support from the China Development Bank and Federal Government counterpart funding.
Progress is also being recorded on the Kano–Maradi rail line, which has advanced from 5 per cent to 60 per cent completion, with construction expected to reach Katsina by December 2026 and full completion by March 2027. The corridor is designed to open export routes into Niger Republic and wider West African markets, reinforcing Kano’s historic role as a trans-Sahelian trading hub.
For exporters of agricultural produce, textiles, leather goods, and manufactured products, the expanding rail network promises lower logistics costs, faster turnaround times, and wider market access.
With rail development now on the concurrent legislative list, Alkali said states and private investors can play a more active role. Industry watchers believe the combined impact of Kano’s metro rail and inter-state connections could fundamentally reshape commerce in the state, turning mobility into a competitive advantage and repositioning Kano as a modern logistics and investment destination.
