₦airaland Forum

Daddy D.O🇳🇬 @DOlusegun

On the Kaduna-Kano rail modernization

The senate, yesterday, has announced the China Development Bank as the new financier for the project paving way for its completion over the coming months.

The former financier, the China Exim Bank, had earlier backed off the project in 2020 citing Covid-19 pandemic among other issues as reasons bringing about delays in its completion.

The railway, a standard-gauge line stretching 203 kilometres, will link Kano to the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Reminder that President Bola Tinubu had earlier assured that the Ibadan-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano railway project would be completed to satisfaction as he continues to build on the success of his immediate past predecessor @MBuhari in railway revolution.

#BelieveInPBAT

https://x.com/DOlusegun/status/1900873597138464984?t=vYLDxfTNA2ZqgOXzr-rJwQ&s=19

naptu2:
I'll explain this again.

1) Western Line: The Western Line was the first line that was built by the Colonial Government. The primary reason for building it was to transport raw materials and agricultural goods like Al-Hassan Dantata's groundnuts from Kano to the port in Lagos.

The line begins at the Lagos Terminus in Iddo (there's also a branch line to the Apapa Port) and goes through Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ilorin, Kaduna and terminates in Kano. It is a narrow gauge line.

The Western line began with the Lagos-Ibadan line which was built between 1891 and 1896, it reached Kano in 1912 and it was later extended to Nguru in 1930.


2) Eastern Line: The Eastern Line was primarily built to move coal from Enugu to the port at Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt was also built for the same reason (to serve as a port for the shipment of coal). Coal was shipped to Great Britain and to the power plant at Ijora in Lagos.

The Eastern Line was extended to Jos, to move tin from the tin mines there and it was also connected to the Western Line in Kaduna. The Government of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa extended the Eastern Line to Maiduguri. It is a narrow gauge line.

The Eastern Line began with the Port-Harcourt to Enugu Line that was built between 1913 and 1916. It was extended to Kaduna in 1927 and it was later extended to Maiduguri between 1958 and 1964.

3) Central Line: The Central Line was constructed by the government of General Ibrahim Babangida (construction began in 1987). It was built to convey iron from the iron mines at Itakpe to the steel mill at Ajaokuta and to convey the steel from Ajaokuta to Warri Port. It is a standard gauge line. The line was not completed.


There have been plans to build new standard gauge lines on the western and eastern axis, along the same corridor as the old narrow gauge lines.

The government of President Goodluck Jonathan began the Kaduna-Abuja rail line on the Western Axis. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari completed it and also built the Lagos-Ibadan line on the Western axis. The Government is currently building the Kano-Kaduna leg of the Western Line. When that is completed, all that will be left is the Ibadan-Ilorin and Ilorin-Abuja segments of the line.


The Government of Muhammadu Buhari also completed the Warri-Itakpe Line (the Central Line). There are plans to extend it to Abuja.

The Muhammadu Buhari Administration had declared that it would focus on completing existing projects, rather than starting new ones and so it focused on completing the Western and Central Lines. There is also a plan to build a standard gauge Eastern Line (Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri) but that has not commenced yet (which has caused annoyance among people of the North-East and South-East).


There is a proposal to build a coastal line, from Lagos to Calabar, but it hasn't been built yet. Critics complain that the colonialists were only interested in exploiting resources from Nigeria, rather than giving Nigerians good infrastructure and that's why they built rail lines from the hinterland in the north, to the ports in the south. For example, the critics point out that if you want to go from Lagos to Enugu by rail, you'd first have to go all the way up to Kaduna, before you can get to Enugu.

When I heard this criticism back in the 1980s, I often asked, "So why haven't we built it? The colonialists have been gone since 1960, so why haven't we built a rail line from east to west? We can't keep blaming them".

naptu2:
The Buhari Administration began the Kaduna - Kano leg of the Western Line and the Tinubu Administration will finish it.

President Tinubu has gone to China to finalise the deal for the construction of the Ibadan - Ilorin and Ilorin - Abuja legs of the line.

The idea to build the Eastern and Western standard gauge lines was conceived during the administration of President Obasanjo. Yar'Adua did not follow through, but Goodluck Jonathan continued it.

The Central Line was conceived during the administration of President Shehu Shagari. It was started by the Babangida Administration and finished by the Buhari Administration. However, the Buhari Administration proposed that it should be extended to Abuja.

I'll tell you about Lord Harcourt later.

naptu2:
The Eastern Line goes through places like Port Harcourt, Aba, Umuahia, Enugu, Makurdi, Jos, Bauchi and Maiduguri.

The Western Line goes through places like Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ilorin, Jebba, Minna, Kaduna and Kano.

The Central Line goes through Warri, Abraka, Agbor, Igbanke, Agenebode, Uromi, Ajaokuta and Itakpe.

In the first map below, the narrow gauge lines are in purple and the standard gauge lines are in red.

naptu2:
In the first map below, the narrow gauge lines are in purple and the standard gauge lines are in red.

Igbos have suffered sha.........every strategic project in the east spends 100 years in the pipeline stage! Nigeria is worthless and useless to Ndigbo !

Shame dey catch me for Nigeria matter

Wailers will have a hard day

Nawa

triple996:
Wailers will have a hard day

Patriots you mean?

Abufo:
Igbos have suffered sha.........every strategic project in the east spends 100 years in the pipeline stage! Nigeria is worthless and useless to Ndigbo !

Igbos can be formidable only if they herd themselves together. Too many polarisation within Ndigbo. Loyalty to the body is trivialised.

Nigeria now totally mortgaged to China. Las las, we will become a colony of China

kossyablaze:
sorry bro... Just find better country japa. I just got my Canada PR. Will be a citizen in 2028....japaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

P.S....will be blessing some lucky folks this Easter. Just mention me on easter sunday

boss man..I go join suit that day

But same no catch you for igboland. Imagine not a single state in your regoon can compete with Lubumbasi in the 21st century. Make we never talk about Younde Alexandra Pretoria Lagos Nairobi.

emmanuel596:
Shame dey catch me for Nigeria matter

Asonaijaaso:
It’s striking how narratives are shaped by perception, not by actions. While China is building roads and universities, and Saudi Arabia is extending investment lifelines across the continent, the U.S. is busy cutting health aid, branding nations as “security risks,” and tightening visa policies. Yet some still cling to the myth that the West is Africa’s greatest ally. True friendship shows in investment, respect, and mutual progress—not in sanctions, suspicion, or charity laced with conditions. The world is shifting, and Africa sees clearly now who builds bridges—and who builds barriers.

Beautiful. Please, can you locate ipobidients WhatsApp group and post this masterpiece there?

APC will borrow and not pay back a single cent for this country

China is the new colonial power in Africa. Know that and know peace.

Asonaijaaso:
It’s striking how narratives are shaped by perception, not by actions. While China is building roads and universities, and Saudi Arabia is extending investment lifelines across the continent, the U.S. is busy cutting health aid, branding nations as “security risks,” and tightening visa policies. Yet some still cling to the myth that the West is Africa’s greatest ally. True friendship shows in investment, respect, and mutual progress—not in sanctions, suspicion, or charity laced with conditions. The world is shifting, and Africa sees clearly now who builds bridges—and who builds barriers.

How much aid does China give to the continent? Have you checked that? With all the anti-west narrative on the continent, should the West keep throwing money down the drain? China is investing to make a return not to show any sort of friendship. China invests more in America than the entire Africa…is that for friendship? America does the same in China, is that also friendship? Africa better wise up and understand there are no friends anywhere. It needs to fix its culture of lies to progress.

triple996:
Wailers will have a hard day

They have come up with fake Pfizer shutting down news to celebrate.

Abuja - Kaduna


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g_WMrxAIZ4?si=f_UVNfvWhbhLqFAu

emmanuel596:
Shame dey catch me for Nigeria matter

Shame no catch over the narrow gauge that your region while others got standard gauge.

Ipobidients, to get sense no hard o,. All you need do is just to shut up

Lagos - Ibadan


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7BwA14o5Zg?si=r3-_vtVafQ4X4UYB

Dtribeless:
How much aid does China give to the continent? Have you checked that? With all the anti-west narrative on the continent, should the West keep throwing money down the drain? China is investing to make a return not to show any sort of friendship. China invests more in America than the entire Africa…is that for friendship? America does the same in China, is that also friendship? Africa better wise up and understand there are no friends anywhere. It needs to fix its culture of lies to progress.

You’re half-right—but only halfway educated on the subject. Yes, China isn’t giving out aid for hugs and friendship, and yes, the West isn’t obligated to burn money. But here’s where your logic collapses: you conflate trade, aid, and diplomacy like they’re the same currency. They’re not.

Let’s break this down:
• China’s annual aid to Africa is around $3–5 billion (not counting infrastructure loans and commercial investments, which are way larger). But they also forgive debts, build hospitals, and cancel interest, which the IMF rarely does.
• The U.S. gives more humanitarian aid, but much of it is tied to conditions, funneled through U.S.-based NGOs, and rarely reaches the intended grassroots. It’s charity with strings, not partnership.
• When you say “China invests more in America than Africa”—congrats, you just described capitalism. But don’t confuse where money goes with why it goes there. Africa is a frontier market, not yet saturated. China sees long-term resource security, soft power, and influence, not just ROI.
• As for “culture of lies”—it’s rich to say that from a global stage where Wall Street sold fake bonds, Big Pharma suppressed data, and politicians lied nations into war. Every region has its demons; Africa is not uniquely dishonest—it’s uniquely scapegoated.
• The West didn’t just throw money away. It used that aid to install allies, influence politics, control trade flows, and protect corporate interests. That’s not generosity—it’s geopolitical chess.

Warri - Itakpe


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNUyTctCNpA?si=gCFg_70FXkbugdLs

Dtribeless:
How much aid does China give to the continent? Have you checked that? With all the anti-west narrative on the continent, should the West keep throwing money down the drain? China is investing to make a return not to show any sort of friendship. China invests more in America than the entire Africa…is that for friendship? America does the same in China, is that also friendship? Africa better wise up and understand there are no friends anywhere. It needs to fix its culture of lies to progress.

Down the drain?

Of what use is the billions spent on wars by your so called west. Has the world achieve peace.

Hmmm!

A slave and her slave masters.

West1side:
But same no catch you for igboland. Imagine not a single state in your regoon can compete with Lubumbasi in the 21st century. Make we never talk about Younde Alexandra Pretoria Lagos Nairobi.

You are not serious! Shebi you are blind and deaf to the deliberate and intentional state (Nigerian) policy to make sure the development does not come to that region and that government presence is not felt there since 1970?

This your deceitful entity, you think you can fool everyone abi?

What about Akure to Lagos rail too,
don't we deserve something like this as well?

Well, we are anxiously awaiting the South West Regional Development Agency to act in this regard. They should just not associate with Odu'a Investment cos I heard they were planning to share the same building. They should set out on their own.

Why does it seem that I am the only person finding it odd that it is the senate and not the Ministry of transport or the presidency making this anouncment?
The country has been destroyed!

OALandAgents:
Why does it seem that I am the only person finding it odd that it is the senate and not the Ministry of transort or the presidency making this anouncment?
Naija has been destroyed!

The person that made the announcement (Dada Olusegun) is the spokesman of the president. The Presidency has already commented on this months ago, but it goes nowhere unless the Senate approves it. The Senate has approved it.

Tunaji:
What about Akure to Lagos rail too,
don't we deserve something like this as well?

Well, we are anxiously awaiting the South West Regional Development Agency to act in this regard. They should just not associate with Odu'a Investment cos I heard they were planning to share the same building. They should set out on their own.

The plan by the Buhari Administration was to connect all state capitals to the rail network and to connect all sea ports to the network.

Akure will be taken care of when the Ibadan to Abuja line is being constructed.

We pray the money is used judiciously.

Ok. Then the subject title is misleading.

naptu2:
The person that made the announcement (Dada Olusegun) is the spokesman of the president. The Presidency has already commented on this months ago, but it goes nowhere unless the Senate approves it. The Senate has approved it.