The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has emphasized that the Kano-Maradi Railway project is central to strengthening Nigeria’s food security and boosting regional logistics.
Opeifa explained that the rail link between Kano in Nigeria and Maradi in the Niger Republic was not just a diplomatic move but a strategic infrastructure development to ensure sustainable food supply across West Africa.
“According to AU Agenda 2063, African countries are encouraged to connect with landlocked neighbours due to their economic potential,” Opeifa said. “From the literature I’ve read, Nigeria’s and West Africa’s food security—especially in cereal and livestock—is tied to Maradi.”
He stressed that mobility plays a critical role in logistics and the food supply chain, noting, “If you take mobility out of logistics and supply, you’re joking. Mobility is at the center of food security.”
The NRC boss explained that the rail project was part of a larger corridor running from Kano to Kaduna, Kaduna to Abuja, and onward to Lagos. He described it as a critical artery for the transportation of agricultural produce and other essential goods.
In addition to the Kano-Maradi route, Opeifa disclosed that the Federal Government is committed to a new infrastructure map that will connect major cities through rail lines. “The government has decided to do a new infrastructure map of rail, and that is to make sure major cities are connected,” he said.
He also welcomed the shift of rail management to the concurrent legislative list, which allows state governments to access grants and independently develop their own railway systems.
Opeifa further mentioned that local communities are actively involved in protecting rail infrastructure, stressing public participation as vital to the sustainability of the transport network.
“Now, the government is also aggressively pursuing this, but people don’t understand what the Kano-Maradi is about what they hear is just ‘Maradi’,” he added, addressing public misconceptions about the project.
