After years of hiatus, China has resumed financing Nigeria’s rail projects with a $253.7 million loan approved by the China Development Bank to construct the Kaduna-Kano railway.
Announced on January 7, the 203km standard-gauge line will link Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city with a population of 4 million, to Kaduna, a central hub of 760,000 residents.
This railway is a critical part of a north-south corridor project that has been under development for over a decade, aiming to boost connectivity and economic growth.
The Kaduna-Kano line’s total cost is estimated to be $1.2bn, with China providing 85% of the financing and the rest coming from the Nigerian government, South China Morning Post reports.
State-owned firm China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) will build the line. It’s now Nigeria’s biggest contractor, according to the Post.
Citing a local source, the Post said the new line would connect two previous Chinese-funded north-south railways.