CHINA Development Bank (CDB) has agreed a loan of $US 254.8m for the Kaduna - Kano main line in Nigeria. The 203.8km standard-gauge railway is currently under construction by China Civil Engineering Construction (CCECC) and will connect the northwestern states of the country, with new stations at Rigachukun, Zaria and Kano.
The line will also connect with the Lagos - Ibadan and the Kano - Maradi lines, providing easy access to the capital Abuja. It is expected to relieve congestion in the Lagos port complex, and increase traffic at inland terminals in Ibadan, Kaduna and Kano.
The majority of funding for the $US 1.2bn project has come from the Nigerian government, which has so far committed $US 917m.
Local media report that the government has stated that it expects the line to open by the end of this year, after a previously-announced deadline of June 2023 was missed.
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